With the Winter Olympics underway, these are the athletes competing for Hong Kong in Beijing.
After our city’s stellar performance at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo last year, it’s safe to say we’ve been keeping our eyes out for the sight of a Hong Kong flag and athletes to cheer. The Winter Olympics kicked off on Friday, 4 February in Beijing (with a few preliminary events beginning on 2 February) and is set to see over 100 events before the closing ceremony on 20 February.
This year’s Hong Kong Winter Olympics team is our biggest to date, representing the city in alpine skiing and short-track speedskating — here’s who to look out for.
(Photo courtesy of the Skiing Association of Hong Kong)
3 Hong Kong athletes to watch at the Beijing Winter Olympics
Team Hong Kong has been participating in the Winter Olympics since 2002, but this young trio is the most we’ve ever sent in and the first time we’ve had athletes across more than one sport. And they’re all debutants. Not bad at all for a city without snow.
Sidney Chu
What: 500m short-track speed skate | When: Friday 11 February, 7:18pm HKT
Speed skater Sidney Chu’s already garnered some attention on Chinese social media — the 22-year-old (the oldest of the three) flag-bearer trended on Weibo for being “handsome” with a “cute Mandarin accent” after the opening ceremony. Chu is competing in the men’s 500m short-track heats on 11 February (quarterfinals, semifinals and finals will take place on 13 February). Previously, he won silver in the 100m and bronze in the 500m at the 2019 Asian Championships.
Audrey King
What: Women’s slalom | When: Wednesday 9 February, 10:15am HKT
19-year-old Audrey King kicked things off for Hong Kong on Wednesday in the women’s slalom (alpine skiing), making her Olympic debut despite a Covid-19 scare. King is a former Youth Olympian, who deferred her entry to Harvard University to compete at Beijing.
Adrian Yung Hau-tsuen
What: Men’s giant slalom and men’s slalom | When: Sunday 13 February, 10:15am HKT; Wednesday 16 February, 10:15am HKT
At only 17, Adrian Yung Hau-tsuen is the youngest member of Team Hong Kong this year. He’s also the city’s first men’s alpine skier at a Winter Olympics. Yung is a former junior British Alpine champion, having grown up in the United Kingdom — his father is a Hongkonger. Watch him at the men’s giant slalom on 13 February and the men’s slalom on 16 February.