Jennifer Lee is facing a dilemma of Olympic proportions.
She has the chance of a lifetime to compete in next year's Beijing Olympics right on the doorstep of her adopted home in Hong Kong.
But to get a place in the Hong Kong equestrian team, she will have to give up her US citizenship -- and officially become a Chinese national.
PHOTO: AFP
"It's a very serious thing to have to contemplate," the 42-year-old Virginian said.
The Beijing Games offer the former riding teacher a shot at Olympic showjumping glory because as hosts, Hong Kong automatically gets to enter riders in the equestrian events as long as they meet a minimum standard.
Lee's riding ability isn't at issue. She is under pressure to change her nationality as local sports authorities have so far failed to grant her an exemption that would allow her to ride for the local team as a foreigner.
She says she meets the conditions to win an exemption and be allowed to ride for Hong Kong.
"You have to live in Hong Kong, have a close relative who is Chinese, and have a good reason -- which the Olympics would be," she said.
"I have been in Hong Kong for 14 years, I'm married to a local, my two kids are half Chinese and were born here. I am a permanent resident," she said.
Hong Kong allows citizens to hold two passports but the territory is now part of China. And taking on Chinese nationality, she says, means giving up any other passports.
"If I give it up, I have to apply for a visa to go to the United States as a foreigner and they don't give visas easily. You have to jump through all sorts of hoops," Lee said.
Along with concerns about being able to quickly reach her mother and grandmother in case of a family emergency, there are implications for her own children, aged five and eight.
"My father-in-law is most concerned about the impact on my children and it's difficult to know about these things before you get into the situation," she said.
There is little doubt that Lee has the ability to obtain the "minimum eligibility standard" certificate to qualify to compete, said the secretary of the Hong Kong Equestrian Federation (HKEF), Soenke Lauterbach.
Lee "is riding at that level," he said. "She has a good chance and she is confident she will qualify."
But unless she is granted a special dispensation on the nationality issue -- which has been extended to athletes representing Hong Kong in the past -- she will not be entitled to represent the territory, Lauterbach said.
Her exclusion from the squad could mean Hong Kong will be unable to field a complete team for the three equestrian events -- jumping, dressage and eventing despite being granted a wild card as host.
It could also undermine efforts to drum up local enthusiasm for the equestrian events, with legislators expressing alarm at the lack of public interest in the Games, which begin on Aug. 8.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), which controls all equestrian pursuits in the territory, has provided HK$20 million (US$2.57 million) to help support and train the selected riders, four of whom were named last week.
Lauterbach said that meeting nationality requirements was a condition of receiving the Jockey Club sponsorship.
Olympic eligibility rules were designed to prevent teams buying talent from other countries, but both the International Olympic Committee and the International Equestrian Federation can grant exemptions.
The South China Morning Post newspaper quoted an unnamed sports official as saying the Hong Kong Olympic Committee had pressured the HKJC and HKEF "to guarantee ... that the riders who would get the money would be eligible to represent Hong Kong at the Olympics, otherwise it was going to be a major problem."
Jockey Club sources said that exemptions must be recommended by national Olympic committees.
In Lee's case, that recommendation must come from the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee (SF&OC) of Hong Kong.
The honorary secretary of the SF&OC, Pang Chung said in an e-mail: "We are not in a position to give concrete response in the matter at present as we are now in discussion with the Hong Kong Equestrian Federation for the way forward."
In the meantime, Lee remains on tenterhooks as she mulls the implications of changing her nationality from American to Chinese.
"Every athlete dreams of going to the Olympics," she said. "It's just that this is such a big ask."
Soccer officials yesterday offered “full support and assistance” to the Iranian team in Australia for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup after the US and Israel launched massive attacks on their homeland. Iran’s 26-strong squad arrived on the Gold Coast days before the strikes on Saturday killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as Washington and Tel Aviv seek to topple the Islamic republic. They are due to open their tournament today against South Korea. The AFC in a statement said it “continues to closely monitor the recent developments in the Middle East during this challenging period.” “The AFC’s foremost priority remains the welfare, safety and
ROAD RASH: Marc Marquez retired after a crash, marking the first time after 88 consecutive races stretching back to 2021 that a Ducati bike failed to make the podium Marco Bezzecchi yesterday won the MotoGP season-opening grand prix in Thailand from pole position as defending world champion Marc Marquez retired late with a buckled wheel. Aprilia’s Bezzecchi led from start to finish to top the podium in Buriram, with KTM’s Pedro Acosta second and Trackhouse’s Raul Fernandez third. Ducati’s Marquez is chasing a record-equaling eighth world title this season, but he exited the race in dramatic fashion while in fourth place with five laps to go. The Spaniard, who started from second on the grid, took a corner wide, with the jolt to his bike dislodging the rear tire, badly damaging his
EVERY DAY A VICTORY: Players on the women’s team faced pressure from society just getting out onto the field as they prepare for their first Women’s Asian Cup game today Bangladesh’s national soccer team face daunting odds at their first-ever Women’s Asian Cup, but have already scored a major victory by qualifying. In the South Asian nation of 170 million, social stigma, family expectations, poverty and religious hardliners have long relegated women and girls to sports sidelines. The first women’s soccer league matches took place in 2011 and the squad, known to fans as the Red and Green, have kept pressing forward despite deeply embedded prejudices. “Many more girls would have joined us if the community had been even slightly supportive,” captain Afeida Khandaker told AFP ahead of her side’s March 3
Liverpool on Tuesday suffered an embarrassing 2-1 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers as Andre’s stoppage-time strike sealed a dramatic victory for the English Premier League’s bottom club. Arne Slot’s side fell behind to Rodrigo Gomes’ strike in the closing stages at Molineux. Mohamed Salah hauled Liverpool level with his first goal in 11 top-flight games dating back to November last year. However, Andre’s first goal for Wolves inflicted the latest humbling loss in a chastening season for Liverpool. It was the first time the Premier League’s bottom club had beaten the reigning champions since Crystal Palace defeated Chelsea in 2017. Liverpool
RSS