The sixth day of the National Games brought both excitement and disappointment, highlighting the varied experiences athletes face on their journey. While some celebrated success, others encountered tough setbacks. For instance, Cade Wright experienced a heartbreaking near-miss in the women’s triathlon held at Central Harbourfront, narrowly missing out on a podium finish despite giving his all. Meanwhile, the fencing events saw a strong showing from Hong Kong’s athletes, with all of them safely advancing to the knockout stages in both women’s épée and men’s sabre categories.
In fencing, Kaylin Hsieh Sin-yan was a standout performer, winning all five of her matches in her group stage at Kai Tak Arena. Not far behind, Chan Wai-ling and Moonie Chu Ka-mong also successfully moved forward to the next rounds. Hsieh’s upcoming challenge is against Wang Xiaoxue from Shandong in the first knockout round, a match that promises to be intense. Similarly, Chan will face Shi Yahui, also from Shandong, and Chu faces a formidable opponent in Lin Sheng, a former world champion, making her path to victory particularly difficult.
In the men’s sabre discipline, the competition heats up as Aaron Ho Sze-long is set to clash with Royce Chan Lok-hei in the initial elimination stage. Hugo Ho Pak-lam will take on Deng Xiaohao, the reigning champion in both individual and team events, representing Guangdong province. These matchups are sure to be thrilling, with athletes vying for a chance to advance further.
Meanwhile, in the triathlon, Cade Wright’s experience was filled with joy despite the pain of narrowly missing the podium. He expressed that he loved every second of the race, even though he finished in fourth place, just shy of the medals. The race was won by Huang Anqi, who, representing the China Public Security Sports Association, made a dramatic comeback in the final moments. Huang caught up to the long-time leader, Lin Xinyu, during the last leg of the race, sprinting ahead to claim victory with a finishing time of 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 16 seconds.
And this is the part most people miss—the stories behind these performances reveal the true resilience and determination of athletes. While victories are celebrated, the near-misses and the intense battles often leave a lasting impression. Do you think the thrill of competition outweighs the heartbreak of falling just short? Or is the true victory in the effort itself? Share your thoughts below—these moments are what make sports so compelling.