Wong Ka-lee tells judokas Olympics not a pipe dream

Hong Kong Olympian Wong Ka-lee said she hopes her journey to Paris will inspire other young judokas to pursue their dreams. Wong, 26, was the third judoka ever from Hong Kong to qualify for the Olympics, marking the return of a local judoka to the Games after 12 years. She was eliminated in the women’s under 48kg competition by Austrian Katharina Tanzer, who is 17 places higher than her in the world rankings. Still, Wong believes her presence in the Olympics would show others that they too can make it to the world stage. “Younger [athletes] may think the Olympics are out of reach. But going to the Olympics this time can show them that it’s not. They can all do it,” she told RTHK in an exclusive interview. The SAR athlete said her judo journey is far from over. “The Olympics are a good experience. I see that I have obviously improved this year in terms of throwing techniques. I hope I can perform better in the next competition,” she said. The first-time Olympian said she will stay in Paris to watch the matches of top judokas and visit wineries. Wong also said she will continue to sharpen her skills, and her next goal is the Asian Judo Open Hong Kong which starts in November.