Winter Olympics: Hong Kong’s Sidney Chu reflects on Beijing’s Olympic spirit – ‘it’s something I’ll never forget’

Crowned “Hong Kong’s handsome flag-bearer” on the opening day, and leaving as the city’s highest-ranked Olympic male entrant in history, it is fair to say Sidney Chu has had a memorable Beijing Winter Games.

The 22-year-old, who finished 24th in the men’s 500m short-track speedskating event last week, is seeing out post-Olympic Village quarantine before getting straight back to training in the mainland.

“The Olympics spirit is real – I didn’t really have a concept of what it was, specifically, and I think most people don’t,” Chu said.

“I’ve experienced major events before, like the University Games or Asian Games, but nothing quite like this.

“It was surreal to see the Olympic rings everywhere. Literally on the packaging of food, literally everywhere. I’m really grateful for the experience – it’s something I’ll never forget for the rest of my life.”

Chu praised the camaraderie and friendliness of surrounding teams despite the high-intensity competitions and the strict Covid-19 pandemic arrangements.

Aside from snapping a photo with the Jamaican bobsleigh team at the opening ceremony, the ice-based delegation also kindled friendships with their European opponents.

“During the World Cup [Olympic qualification series] I guess the environment wasn’t as friendly, because all teams like Hong Kong and Ukraine or Bulgaria were fighting for those last few spots,” Chu said.

“The Ukrainian skaters, who are sort of the neck-and-neck with us and of similar level, we didn’t really talk to. But after we both got to the Olympics, we were trading pins and talking a lot.

“It really showed that Olympic spirit. Being at the Olympics, you have all these countries who in real life might be ‘at war’ with each other, but we kind of ignore that and enjoy the camaraderie there.

“If one team needed a screwdriver or something, somebody would gladly offer it. It’s these small things that detract from the fact that it might not happen in the ‘real world’.”

Though Chu was disappointed not to have broken his personal best at his debut Olympics – he was clipped by European championship silver medallist Dylan Hoogerwerf of the Netherlands at the start line of their heat – he goes forward knowing he shared the rink with some of the very best.

“The race didn’t go as well as I wanted to because we clicked blades at the start,” Chu said.

“But it’s part of the sport. I’ve done that to people and people have done that to me. It is what it is.

“All in all it was a great experience. Being on the line with literally Wu Dajing [Chinese 2018 Pyeongchang gold medallist and world record-holder] is something I’ll never forget.

“It was also incredible to see so much support from other Hong Kong athletes messaging me with encouragement, and all the Hong Kong audience and media did a good job promoting the events,” added Chu, who is planning to open a speedskating academy in Hong Kong when Covid-19 permits.

“It was a really big push for the entire winter sports [scene] in Hong Kong. It’s an honour.”