Dark horse:
Cute on the outside, fencer Au Sin-ying has a fiery passion for her sport which intimidates her toughest opponents.
Trademark turn-out:
Au is renowned for wearing her smart eyeglasses on the fencing strip.
Sports Institute
The Hong Kong Sports Institute vision is to become the region's elite training systems delivery leader by providing state-of-the-art, evidence-based, elite sports training and athlete support systems resulting in sustainable world-class sports results.
Leisure & Cultural Services Department
The Leisure & Cultural Services Department provides leisure and cultural services; promotes synergy with sports, cultural and community organisations in enhancing the development of the arts and sport in the territory; preserves cultural heritage; and beautifies the environment through tree planting.
Piste de resistance
January 04, 2011
Fencer Au Sin-ying impressed spectators at the recent Guangzhou Asian Games with her competitive intensity which scored her an outstanding result.
The 21-year-old upset top fencer Tan Xue in the women’s individual sabre semi-finals and eventually won a silver medal for Hong Kong after losing to South Korea’s Kym Hye-lim.
“I don’t know how to describe myself other than a dark horse,” she recently told news.gov.hk, adding her tenacity helped her beat a stronger opponent.
Tiger's roar
Au has been noted for her highly vocal style during a bout, saying her frequent screams are essential in competition.
“My friends sometimes imitate my screaming and make fun of me. It is an essential and useful tactic. In fencing the referee uses the rules of right of way to determine which fencer gets the touch. Screaming not only helps build up your confidence and spirit, but also imposes pressure on the referee. It’s sort of a way to tell him I deserve the point.
“I was leading in the match against Tan Xue. There were two or three more points to go. I was so worried she might be able to catch up, therefore I screamed harder and harder to relieve the pressure.”
She said it was the loudest she has screamed in a competition. As matches do not last long, a fencer must be intense and intimidating to ensure their best performance on the piste, or fencing strip.
“I don’t scream during training. I didn’t realise I was that loud until I saw a clip on television.”
She is also noted for her spectacles, as few fencers wear glasses on the piste.
“It is like wearing two pair of glasses as there is a plastic cover on the mask. When my lens becomes foggy I can request a pause in play to clean it. That gives me time to calm down and think about my next step.”
Natural talent
Au was an avid sportsman as a child, and her mother enrolled her in a Leisure & Cultural Services Department fencing class when she was in Form Two. Au said the move changed her life.
“It was convenient for me as the Government provided the equipment, and the fee was cheap.”
Showing natural talent and huge potential during the 10-lesson course, she was referred to the Hong Kong Sports Institute for further training under the Hong Kong team’s head coach Wang Ruiji.
“Sabre was relatively new to Hong Kong then and they put a lot of resources on its development. I was fortunate to be able to meet coach Wang at the time and he picked me for the sabre team.”
The coach honed her fencing skills and encouraged her to continue studying. She now attends Baptist University.
“When I finish my degree I’ll become a full-time athlete. My target is to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics.”
Au will need to compete in more international tournaments to raise her world ranking and qualify for London.
Meanwhile, she called for support for Hong Kong's bid for the 2023 Asian Games so the city's athletes can feel the pride of competing on home ground.
“Hosting the Asian Games helps promote sports in the community. It will be such an exciting moment competing at home.”
