Hong Kong rower Chiu Hin-chun's hopes of capturing a medal at the Paris Olympics came to an end on Tuesday, after he finished last among six competitors in the first quarter-final of the men's rowing single sculls event.

The 29-year-old clocked in a time of seven minutes 13.7 seconds.

“I knew I was competing against seeded players in the quarter-finals, so I tried to catch up with them in the first 500 metres," Chiu said after the race.

"I knew it would be challenging, but I didn't want to give up. The process was difficult and I had only myself, from preparing for the match to drawing up a race plan."

He will row again in the C and D semi-finals on Wednesday.