Thousands of swimmers took to the water for the annual cross-harbour race on Sunday morning, swimming a one-kilometre course from Wan Chai Golden Bauhinia Square Public Pier to the Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui.

The race drew about 4,000 participants this year, with about 300 people participating in the racing group and 3,700 people registered to take part in the leisure group.

Keith Sin, the overall male champion, said the instructions of this year's race were clearer than last year's, with the navigation buoys ideally placed while the water temperature was comfortable to swim in.

"I have to say the organisers did a great job, while there might not be any obvious changes, those two navigation buoys were really well done," he said.

"They kept us from worrying about where the finish line was before getting in the water, since it's hard to see it from the starting point, navigation buoys are actually super important, so the organisers really nailed it."

The competition also featured a leisure group with approximately 3,700 swimmers, who set off in four waves.

However, the final wave was cancelled due to strong currents, affecting about 700 participants.

Ronnie Wong, Chairman of the Hong Kong China Swimming Association, said although they were confident that all contestants could have finished, they decided to cancel the last wave due to safety concerns and time limitations.

"We made a decision today regarding the final wave of about 700 swimmers that due to water currents and safety concerns, we have cancelled the last group from racing, and we will refund their registration fees," he said.

Organisers also said they would consider giving the affected swimmers priority registration if they wanted to take part in next year's race.





Edited by Tony Sabine