Lee Lai Shan
Encyclopedia
Lee Lai-Shan MBE BBS
(born in Cheung Chau
, Hong Kong
, September 5, 1970) is a former world champion and Olympic gold medal-winning professional windsurfer from Hong Kong
. She is the first and last ever athlete to win an Olympic medal representing Hong Kong, not as part of China
. Since 1997, Hong Kong has been stipulated to append the word "China
" after its name in all Olympic events.
and started windsurfing
aged 12. She began to take part in windsurfing competitions at the age of 17 and joined the Hong Kong team at 19. Over the years, Lee won many international competitions, including the first-ever Olympic gold medal
for Hong Kong, in the women's mistral boardsailing class, at the 1996 Olympics and the first champion in the Asian Games
representing Hong Kong, China.
Between 1952-1995, Hong Kong had never been able to win any medals at the Olympic Games
. Lee Lai-Shan's victory at the 1996 Atlanta Centennial Olympics changed all this and added a glorious chapter to the region's 44-year Olympic history. Notably, the 1996 Summer Olympics was the last international sporting event that Hong Kong participated in as a British colony, making Lee's medal the first and last medal that the Hong Kong team (not Hong Kong, China) won. It was at that time Lee famously declared to the media:
After the Games she became a student of sports management at Australia's University of Canberra
in 1996. She was the first Hong Kong athlete to receive an Honorary Doctorate in social sciences
from The Chinese University of Hong Kong
.
Lee became a recipient of the “Ten Outstanding Young Persons
Award” and the Bronze Bauhinia Star
Award in recognition of her outstanding achievements in the international sports scene. She was also awarded an Honorary Doctoral Degree
in Social Sciences by The Chinese University of Hong Kong. There is a monument
resembling a windsurf board and mast erected in her honour near the beachfront at Cheung Chau
.
In 2008, she was the first person to carry the Olympic torch in the torch relay
leg in Hong Kong. She also was the final torchbearer in 2008 Summer Olympics
sailing
opening ceremony at Qingdao International Marina.
Major achievements
again when she was one of the presenting team for ATV
, in addition to commentating at its sailing event.
In 2006, she was featured in a Hang Seng Bank
advertisement, in which she said the cost of raising a child in Hong Kong will be HK$4 million (US$510,000). It has caused a slight controversy in Hong Kong as most people do not think it will actually cost that much, and most think that Hang Seng Bank exaggerated the figures.
Bronze Bauhinia Star
The Bronze Bauhinia Star is the lowest rank in Order of the Bauhinia Star in Hong Kong, created in 1997 to replace the British honours system of the Order of the British Empire after the transfer of sovereignty to People's Republic of China and the establishment of the Hong Kong Special...
(born in Cheung Chau
Cheung Chau
Cheung Chau is a small island 10 km southwest of Hong Kong Island, is nicknamed as the 'dumbbell island' for its shape. It has been inhabited for longer than most other places in the territory of Hong Kong, with a population of about 23,000 up to 2006...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, September 5, 1970) is a former world champion and Olympic gold medal-winning professional windsurfer from Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. She is the first and last ever athlete to win an Olympic medal representing Hong Kong, not as part of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. Since 1997, Hong Kong has been stipulated to append the word "China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
" after its name in all Olympic events.
Major achievements
Lee Lai-Shan, popularly known as "San San", was born in Cheung ChauCheung Chau
Cheung Chau is a small island 10 km southwest of Hong Kong Island, is nicknamed as the 'dumbbell island' for its shape. It has been inhabited for longer than most other places in the territory of Hong Kong, with a population of about 23,000 up to 2006...
and started windsurfing
Windsurfing
Windsurfing or sailboarding is a surface water sport that combines elements of surfing and sailing. It consists of a board usually two to four metres long, powered by the orthogonal effect of the wind on a sail. The rig is connected to the board by a free-rotating universal joint and comprises a...
aged 12. She began to take part in windsurfing competitions at the age of 17 and joined the Hong Kong team at 19. Over the years, Lee won many international competitions, including the first-ever Olympic gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
for Hong Kong, in the women's mistral boardsailing class, at the 1996 Olympics and the first champion in the Asian Games
Asian Games
The Asian Games, officially known as Asiad, is a multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The Games were regulated by the Asian Games Federation from the first Games in New Delhi, India, until the 1978 Games. Since the 1982 Games they have been organised by the...
representing Hong Kong, China.
Between 1952-1995, Hong Kong had never been able to win any medals at the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
. Lee Lai-Shan's victory at the 1996 Atlanta Centennial Olympics changed all this and added a glorious chapter to the region's 44-year Olympic history. Notably, the 1996 Summer Olympics was the last international sporting event that Hong Kong participated in as a British colony, making Lee's medal the first and last medal that the Hong Kong team (not Hong Kong, China) won. It was at that time Lee famously declared to the media:
After the Games she became a student of sports management at Australia's University of Canberra
University of Canberra
Over the years the Stone Day program has gradually become larger and larger, taking up a whole week and now Stonefest is one of Australia's most popular music festivals. The first foundation celebrations were held in 1971. In 1973 Stone Day celebrations were held over two days, which was expanded...
in 1996. She was the first Hong Kong athlete to receive an Honorary Doctorate in social sciences
Social sciences
Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
from The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Chinese University of Hong Kong
The Chinese University of Hong Kong is a research-led university in Hong Kong.CUHK is the only tertiary education institution in Hong Kong with Nobel Prize winners on its faculty, including Chen Ning Yang, James Mirrlees, Robert Alexander Mundell and Charles K. Kao...
.
Lee became a recipient of the “Ten Outstanding Young Persons
Ten Outstanding Young Persons
Ten Outstanding Young Persons schemes are award schemes in various countries honouring young people for their achievements. The recipients of such awards may be submitted to JCI as nominees for the Outstanding Young Persons of the World program....
Award” and the Bronze Bauhinia Star
Bronze Bauhinia Star
The Bronze Bauhinia Star is the lowest rank in Order of the Bauhinia Star in Hong Kong, created in 1997 to replace the British honours system of the Order of the British Empire after the transfer of sovereignty to People's Republic of China and the establishment of the Hong Kong Special...
Award in recognition of her outstanding achievements in the international sports scene. She was also awarded an Honorary Doctoral Degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
in Social Sciences by The Chinese University of Hong Kong. There is a monument
Monument
A monument is a type of structure either explicitly created to commemorate a person or important event or which has become important to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, or simply as an example of historic architecture...
resembling a windsurf board and mast erected in her honour near the beachfront at Cheung Chau
Cheung Chau
Cheung Chau is a small island 10 km southwest of Hong Kong Island, is nicknamed as the 'dumbbell island' for its shape. It has been inhabited for longer than most other places in the territory of Hong Kong, with a population of about 23,000 up to 2006...
.
In 2008, she was the first person to carry the Olympic torch in the torch relay
2008 Summer Olympics torch relay
The 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay was run from March 24 until August 8, 2008, prior to the 2008 Summer Olympics, with the theme of "one world, one dream". Plans for the relay were announced on April 26, 2007, in Beijing, China...
leg in Hong Kong. She also was the final torchbearer in 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
opening ceremony at Qingdao International Marina.
Major achievements
- 1990 Beijing Asian Games - 2nd
- 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games - 11th
- 1993 World Championships - 1st
- 1994 Hiroshima Asian Games - 2nd
- 1995 World Championships - 3rd
- 1996 World Championships - 2nd
- 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games - 1st
- 1997 World Championships - 1st
- 1998 Bangkok Asian Games - 1st
- 2000 Sydney Olympic Games - 6th Mistral
- 2001 World Championships - 1st
- 2001 National Games - 1st Mistral
- 2002 Pusan Asian Games - 1st
- 2004 Athens Olympic Games2004 Summer OlympicsThe 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
- 4th Mistral
Honors
- 1994 - Named Best Athlete of Asia
- 1995-1996 & 1999-2000 - Named one of Hong Kong Sports Stars of the Year for four times
- 1995 - Selected Best Athlete in Hong Kong for 1994
- 1998 - Voted one of Hong Kong Top Ten Athletes for 1988-1998 by Hong Kong Sports Press Association
- 1999 - Selected one of China's Top Ten Athletes for 1998
- 1999 - Awarded Special Prize in the "Best Athletes of the Century" selection jointly organized by the Chinese Olympic Committee, Henry Fok Foundation and China Sports Press Association
Personal information
She married longtime partner Wong Tak-Sum (黃德森) (known in English as Sam Wong), who has also represented Hong Kong internationally in windsurfing, and gave birth to a daughter, Haylie Wong (黃希皚), in August 2005, and to a second daughter in August 2007. This was one of the reasons for her to take a break from competition, though she has not ruled out competing altogether. In 2008, she was involved in the Summer Olympics2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
again when she was one of the presenting team for ATV
Asia Television Limited
Asia Television Limited is one of the two free-to-air television broadcasters in Hong Kong, the other being rival Television Broadcasts Limited . It launched in 1957 under the name Rediffusion Television as the first television station in Hong Kong...
, in addition to commentating at its sailing event.
In 2006, she was featured in a Hang Seng Bank
Hang Seng Bank
Hang Seng Bank Limited is the second largest bank in Hong Kong. It is a listed company but it is majority owned by the HSBC Group via The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. Hang Seng is also one of the constituent shares of the Hang Seng Index...
advertisement, in which she said the cost of raising a child in Hong Kong will be HK$4 million (US$510,000). It has caused a slight controversy in Hong Kong as most people do not think it will actually cost that much, and most think that Hang Seng Bank exaggerated the figures.