Hong Kong equestrian Jacqueline Lai marked her return to the National Games after a 12-year absence with a strong fifth-place finish in the individual show jumping event on Wednesday.

The competition in Shenzhen featured a demanding two-round final with different courses for the 25 riders.

Lai navigated the first round with impressive speed, clocking in at 81.94 seconds — the second-fastest time of the round.

However, she incurred four penalty points for knocking down an obstacle, placing her in fourth position heading into the afternoon session.

The drama intensified in the second round, concluding with Lai tied for the bronze medal position with riders from Shanghai and Shandong.

This triggered a high-pressure jump-off to break the three-way tie.

In the tiebreaker, Lai and her horse, Feedback 30, knocked down two obstacles, resulting in eight penalty points.

This ultimately placed her fifth overall in the final standings.

The bronze medal was claimed by Zhang Yong of Shandong, while Guangxi's Mula Deli took gold, and Ella Wang of Hebei secured the silver.

Meanwhile, Lai's teammate, Raena Leung, finished eighth overall.

This performance marks a significant return for Lai to the National Games stage, as she previously won a bronze medal in the team event in 2009 and a silver in the individual event in 2013.