Flora Kong

Flora Kong Yan Kay (also Kong Yan Kay or Flora Kong, Chinese: 江欣琦; pinyin: Jiāng Xīnqí; Jyutping: gong1 jan1 kei4; born December 14, 1984) is a Hong Kong former swimmer, who specialized in butterfly events.[1] She represented Hong Kong, as a 15-year-old, at the 2000 Summer Olympics, and later became a finalist in the 200 m butterfly at the 2002 Asian Games.

Flora Kong
Personal information
Full nameFlora Kong Yan Kay
National team Hong Kong
Born (1984-12-14) 14 December 1984
Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Height1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)
Weight46 kg (101 lb)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesButterfly
ClubIrvine Novaquatics (U.S.)
College teamUniversity of California, Berkeley (U.S.)
CoachDave Salo (U.S.)
In this Chinese name, the family name is Kong.

Kong competed only in the women's 100 m butterfly at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. She achieved a FINA B-cut of 1:03.39 from the Hong Kong Long Course Championships.[2] She challenged six other swimmers in heat two, including two-time Olympians Hsieh Shu-ting and María del Pilar Pereyra. Coming from third at the final turn, Kong strengthened her own pace on the final stretch, but fell short to second place by more than half a second (0.50) behind Hsieh in 1:04.09. Kong failed to advance into the semifinals, as she placed forty-second overall on the first day of prelims.[3][4]

At the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, South Korea, Kong failed to medal in any of her individual events, finishing eighth in the 100 m butterfly (1:03.42), and eleventh in the 200 m butterfly (2:22.41).[5][6]

When she left Hong Kong to come to the United States, Kong trained for world-class coach Dave Salo at the Irvine Novaquatics Club, and helped the swim team set school records in all medley relays (both 200 and 400 m).[7][8] She also competed for the California Golden Bears swimming and diving team under women's head coach Teri McKeever, and spent two years of undergraduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley.

References
  1. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Flora Kong". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2017-07-01. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  2. "Swimming – Women's 100m Butterfly Startlist (Heat 2)" (PDF). Sydney 2000. Omega Timing. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  3. "Sydney 2000: Swimming – Women's 100m Butterfly Heat 2" (PDF). Sydney 2000. LA84 Foundation. p. 224. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 August 2011. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  4. Newberry, Paul (16 September 2000). "Thompson anchors U.S. relay win; Thorpe wins 400 free". Canoe.ca. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  5. "Japan Takes Four of Five Events on Day One of Asian Games". Swimming World Magazine. 30 September 2002. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  6. "Japan's Kitajima Breaks Barrowman's 200m Breaststroke World Record; Cracks 2:10 Barrier". Swimming World Magazine. 2 October 2002. Archived from the original on 13 February 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  7. "Irvine High Recaptures National High School Mark in Girls' 200 Medley Relay". Swimming World Magazine. 23 April 2002. Archived from the original on 24 June 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  8. "Irvine High Keeps on Rolling, Wins Southern Section Calif. CIF High School Div. I Titles". Swimming World Magazine. 12 May 2001. Archived from the original on 7 February 2012. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
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