Tang Wai-lok
Personal information
Nationality Hong Kong
Born (1997-06-02) 2 June 1997 (age 26)
Sport
SportSwimming
Strokesfreestyle
Medal record
Men's swimming
Representing  Hong Kong
Paralympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio de Janeiro 200m freestyle S14
Asian Para Games
Gold medal – first place 2014 Incheon 200m freestyle S14
Gold medal – first place 2018 Jakarta 200m freestyle S14
Gold medal – first place 2022 Hangzhou 200m freestyle S14
INAS Global Games
Gold medal – first place 2015 Ecuador 200m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2015 Ecuador 4x50m medley relay
Gold medal – first place 2015 Ecuador 4x100m medley relay
Gold medal – first place 2015 Ecuador 4x200m freestyle relay
Gold medal – first place 2019 Brisbane 4x50m medley relay
Silver medal – second place 2015 Ecuador 100m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2015 Ecuador 100m backstroke
Silver medal – second place 2015 Ecuador 4x100m freestyle relay
Silver medal – second place 2019 Brisbane 4x50m freestyle relay
Silver medal – second place 2019 Brisbane 4x100m freestyle relay
Silver medal – second place 2019 Brisbane 4x200m freestyle relay
Silver medal – second place 2019 Brisbane 200m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Ecuador 50m backstroke
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Brisbane 200m individual medley
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Brisbane 100m freestyle

Tang Wai-lok (Chinese: 鄧韋樂) is a Hong Kong Paralympic swimmer, he classifies as a class S14 Paraswimmer.

Personal life

At the age of 6, Tang was diagnosed with mild intellectual disability and had to transfer to a special-needs school, at the age of 11 he began swimming and his efforts paid off in a call up to the youth team, and eventually the Hong Kong Paralympic Swimming Team for the 2012 Paralympics. One of Tang's biggest influences is his mother, who he says had a "vital role" in his success.[1]

Awards and Accolades

Accolades he has include being recipient of the 2014 Hong Kong Outstanding Youth Athlete, a 2015 International Sports Federation for Persons with Intellectual Disability Award for Best Male Athlete, as well as a 2016 Hong Kong Sports Star Award.[2]

Performance Across Competitions

2012 Paralympic Games

Tang participated in the 2012 Paralympic Games, finishing 7th in the Men's 100m Backstroke, 6th in the Men's 200m Freestyle and failing to make it out of his heat in the Men's 100m Breaststroke.[3][4][5]

2016 Paralympic Games

Tang won Hong Kong's first Paralympic Swimming Gold in the 2016 Paralympic Games, coming 1st in the men's 200 meter freestyle whilst setting a new Paralympic record at that time of 1:56.32, Tang also finished 4th in the Men's 100m backstroke.[6][7]

2020 Paralympic Games

In the 2020 Paralympic Games, Tang failed to defend his Olympic title for the Men's 200 meter freestyle, coming in 10th in his heat and failing to qualify to the knockout stages. Tang also finished 6th in the Men's 100 meter butterfly.[8]

Other International Events

In the 2015 INAS Global Games, Tang won Gold in the Men's 200m freestyle, Men's 200m and 400m Medley Relay and Men's 800m freestyle relay. Silver in the Men's 100m Freestyle, 100m Backstroke, 400m Men's freestyle Relay and Bronze in the Men's 50m backstroke.[9]

Tang achieved Gold in the 2018 Asian Para Games for the Men's 200 meter freestyle, as well as Silver for the Men's 200 meter individual medley.[10]

In the 2019 INAS Global Games, Tang achieved Gold in the Men's 4x50m medley relay, Silver in the Men's 4x50m, 4 × 100 m, 4 × 200 m Freestyle relay, Silver in the Men's 4 × 100 m Medley Relay and Bronze in the Men's 100m freestyle and Men's 200m individual Medley.[11]

References

  1. ^ "A medal for Mum". Hong Kong's Information Services Department (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved 2021-10-01.
  2. ^ "Swimming: TANG Wai Lok". Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 2021-09-26. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  3. ^ "London 2012 - swimming - mens-200-m-freestyle-s14". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
  4. ^ "London 2012 - swimming - mens-100-m-backstroke-s14". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
  5. ^ "London 2012 - swimming - mens-100-m-breaststroke-sb14". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
  6. ^ "HK's first gold won and new record set at Rio 2016 Paralympics by swimmer Tang Wai-lok". Young Post. 12 September 2016. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  7. ^ "A medal for Mum". Hong Kong's Information Services Department (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved 2021-10-01.
  8. ^ "Disappointment as defending champion Tang fails to reach final". South China Morning Post. 2021-08-27. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  9. ^ https://www.virtus.sport/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Box_2015-Ecuador.pdf[bare URL PDF]
  10. ^ "2018 Asian Para Games - Sporting Achievements - News & Publications - Hong Kong Sports Institute". www.hksi.org.hk. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  11. ^ "Para Athletes Shine at INAS Global Games". www.hksi.org.hk. Retrieved 2021-09-27.


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