Hong Kong lockdown won't stop swimmer's Olympic dream

STORY: Jody Lee hopes to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics

But Hong Kong’s months-long shutdown of swimming pools

is making it tougher to achieve his dream

(SOUNDBITE) (English) 15-YEAR-OLD ASPIRING SWIMMER, JODY LEE, SAYING: "I was at nearly my peak of my training levels. I was training real hard and I was doing pretty well in competitions. And that was for the first time that like, I found things really tough because all the pools were shut down. There was absolutely nothing I could do because I couldn't go to the pool to train anymore and have to force to rely on alternatives such as swimming in the sea.’’

Lee is a city-wide champion in several events including butterfly

All local competitions remain on hold for now

but he and his coach remain hopeful about the future

(SOUNDBITE) (English) LEE'S SWIM COACH FROM HARRY WRIGHT INTERNATIONAL, CARLI BOTHA, SAYING:

"To think that Jody lost 13 and a half months now from the start of January in 2020 up until now and April, it's very detrimental to his swimming career and to be able to keep pushing and also gain back what he has lost during those months without being able to be inside a pool."

(SOUNDBITE) (English) 15-YEAR-OLD ASPIRING SWIMMER, JODY LEE, SAYING: "So at this point of time, I have no idea how other swimmers' levels are. I have no idea where my swimming level is. But there is one word which I like to carry along with myself, which will carry through: determination."