This article was first published on July 30, 1996.
Our golden girl
by Nazvi Careem and Scott McKenzie
Cheers and tears swept Hong Kong yesterday (July 29, 1996) on the back of the golden victory for Olympic windsurfer Lee Lai-shan.
The 25-year-old from Cheung Chau won a gold medal for herself and glory for Hong Kong after 44 years of fruitless Olympic competition when she crossed the finish line at Savannah, Georgia, at 5.56 am (Hong Kong time).
Tears streamed down her face as she hugged fiance and fellow Olympic windsurfer Sam Wong Tak-sum and team manager Bertie de Speville. Then, through a mobile phone, she shared her moment of fame with her mother.
Congratulations flooded in from all over the world: holidaying Governor Chris Patten and acting Governor Donald Tsang Yam-kuen were quick to respond; the Hong Kong director of Xinhua (the New China News Agency), Zhou Nan, sent a telegram; and fans who followed her to the United States for the event partied throughout the night.
In Hong Kong, her win was the talk of the town as corporations and individuals announced huge financial rewards for her landmark victory.
