London Olympics medallist Lee Wai-sze began her bid for a repeat performance in Rio next year with an impressive bronze medal at the opening leg of the UCI Track World Cup in Cali, Colombia - while teammate Cheung King-lok joined the ranks of Hong Kong riders to have won gold in the competition.

Lee, who was a bronze medallist in the 2012 Games in the keirin discipline, is already looking toward next summer’s event in Rio, where she hopes to climb the podium for Hong Kong once more.

And as the build-up began in earnest in South America in October, she could count herself satisfied with a fine performance, coming third in the sprint and fifth in the keirin.

Lee had seen off some of the world’s best to get to the sprint semi-final, beating the European, Olympic and World champions in successive rounds (Elis Ligtlee, Anna Meares and Kristina Vogel). In the keirin final, she was chasing winner Vogel hard on the last lap, but a loose helmet strap hampered her.

"The bronze medal did not come cheaply as [Lee] had to overcome a couple of the best riders in the world," said Coach Shen, who warned that improvement was still necessary to medal in Rio.

Her fighting style has already made her a formidable force but she needs to challenge herself to an even higher level.” he added. For men’s event, Cheung added his name to the impressive list of Hong Kong riders to have won World Cup gold with his win in the points race.

He joined Wong Kam-po, Wong Wan-yiu, Lee, Kwok Ho-ting, Choi Ki-ho and Diao Xiaojuan, with his impressive display.

As the points race is no longer on the Olympics programme, Cheung will focus on the road race in Rio, said HKSI Head Cycling Coach Shen Jinkang.

Before the World Cup, HK’s squad impressed at the ACC Track Asia Cup in Bangkok, winning six medals including three golds.

Diao took gold and silver in the women’s scratch race and omnium respectively. Leung Hoi-wah was first and second in the junior women’s points race and scratch, while Li Yin-yin won the women’s junior sprint. Mow Ching-yin, with bronze in the men’s points race, completed the tally.

The future looks bright for snooker after an all-Hong Kong final in the IBSF World Under 18 Snooker Championships held on 3 - 10 October in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Cheung Ka-wai and Chan Ming-tung both fought their way to the final in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Cheung, 16, had dominated throughout the tournament, dropping only 4 frames in seven matches on his way to the final. He looked set for another routine win when he raced into a 3-0 lead in the best-of-nine-frames final, but Chan fought back strongly before Cheung won 5-2.

It was the inaugural edition of the competition, in which 74 boys from 18 countries took part.

Hong Kong’s team headed to Salzburg, Austria for the latest round of the Karate1 Premier League on 17 - 18 October, bagging 3 silver medals.

Ma Man-sum and Tsang Yee-ting won individual medals in the women’s kumite (55kg and 50kg respectively), while the men’s team (Cheng Tsz-man, Hau Chun and Hung Ho-wai) were second in the kata.

Ma also won silver in the previous leg in Coburg, Germany, and will hope to go one better in the latest round in Okinawa, Japan. It was also the second medal in succession for the men’s team, who had won last time out.

Hong Kong’s junior swimming team returned from the 8^th Asian Age Group Swimming Championships held on 1 - 7 October in Bangkok, Thailand with a host of medals.

Hong Kong brought 43 swimmers to the competition in Thailand, in three categories - 18 and above, 15-17 and 14 and below, and between them they won 26 medals. The team won 6 gold, 9 silver and 11 bronze, with Mok Kai-tik standing out in the 14 and below category with an impressive eight medals.

Mok won 3 individual gold medals (100m and 200m breaststroke, and 200m medley), plus 2 more in relay events (with Chan Pak-hin in the 4x200m freestyle, and Pak-hin and Chan Chun-lok in the 4x100 medley). He added to his haul with 2 individual bronze and a relay silver.

Chan Chun-lok won Hong Kong's other gold, in the 50m breaststroke under the same category.

540 athletes took part in the competition, with 49 records broken.