Winter Olympics: Hong Kong confirms 13-strong delegation to ‘perform our best athletically and morally’ at Beijing Games
- Joining speed skater Sidney Chu and alpine skiing pair Audrey King and Adrian Yung are SF&OC chiefs, headquarter officials and medical staff
- ‘If they can break their own local records, we’d consider that a tremendous achievement’, says Chef de Mission Karl Kwok
Hong Kong announced its record-breaking Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics delegation on Monday, with Sports Federation and Olympic Committee (SF&OC) president Timothy Fok Tsun-ting hoping for a “memorable” outing in “our capital city”.
Olympic debutants Sidney Chu (500m short-track speed skate), Audrey King (women’s slalom) and Adrian Yung Hau-tsuen (men’s slalom and giant slalom) will be guided by head coaches Sun Dandan and Marko Rudic, both of whom are former Olympians for China and Bosnia, respectively.
In addition, three national Olympic committee representatives including Fok, three headquarters officials and two medical staff will travel with the team.
Chef de Mission Karl Kwok Chi-leung confirmed one delegate had already arrived in Beijing, while he will get there a day before the opening ceremony. Covid-19 travel and bubble precautions are already in full swing.
“I did not go to the Tokyo Olympics, but the SF&OC has experience from that, and my understanding is that the requirements are more or less similar,” said Kwok, SF&OC vice-president and the government’s Major Sports Events Committee chairman.
“We obviously have to make sure our athletes are fully provided for, and I am the one to take care of any problems concerning the team. But being a small team, I don’t foresee many problems.”
Kwok acknowledged that while winning a medal would be unlikely, reaching the Games was a feat the young trio should be very proud of, and local fans should be rallying in support as they did last summer.
“This is the second time in Olympic history that we will have no audience or spectators, so [the athletes] can really concentrate on what they do, but it’s also very difficult for them because athletes like having cheering crowds around them,” he said.
“We should all give them big cheers. We don’t live in the northern latitudes and don’t see snow. We have [three athletes] who really like the sport and have put in a lot of effort to reach this juncture.
“If they can break their own local records, we’d consider that a tremendous achievement. I don’t think we should expect any dramatic breakthrough or good news – I’m not putting them down, it’s just very difficult given it’s winter sports and the standard is extremely high.”
Hong Kong’s Olympic skiers Yung and King ready for Games debut
Fok added: “Much has been said and written long before the first event [of the Beijing Winter Olympics].
“These Olympiads will be memorable because our capital city is the first to host the summer and winter versions. Our delegation from Hong Kong, China will thus be a part of history. Let us go forth proudly and perform our best athletically and morally. There will be tales to tell and memories to keep.”
Kicking things off for Hong Kong is former Youth Olympian King, who competes in the women’s slalom at the Yanqing National Alpine Skiing Centre on February 9.
Yung, a former junior British Alpine champion, competes in the men’s giant slalom on February 13 and men’s slalom on February 16.
Skater Chu says pressure is on after Hong Kong’s Tokyo success
Speed skater Chu, who impressed at last year’s FIS World Cup series, will compete in the men’s 500m qualifiers at the Capital Indoor Stadium on February 11. Should he qualify, the quarter-final, semi-final and final are slated for February 13.
Hong Kong has sent at least one athlete to six consecutive Winter Games since its first at Salt Lake City 2002.
The Beijing Games’ 109 events in seven sports and 15 disciplines span Beijing, Yanqing and Zhangjiakou.
