Winter Olympics: ‘handsome’ Sidney Chu ‘flustered’ by surge in Chinese social media attention after flag-bearing duties for Hong Kong
- The 22-year-old skater became one of Weibo’s hottest trends for his ‘cute’ looks and Mandarin accent
- Calling it ‘heartwarming’, Chu hopes Chinese netizens become familiar with ‘how far we’ve come in terms of winter sports for a place that doesn’t have snow or ice’

Hong Kong’s Winter Olympics opening ceremony flag-bearer Sidney Chu woke up to a flood of messages after becoming an overnight sensation on Chinese social media.
Netizens lathered the short-track speed skater with praise of his “handsome” looks and “cute dongbei accent” having watched his several pre-Games interviews in his northeastern Mandarin twang.

“What can I say? I’m a little flustered,” Chu said, complimenting the ceremony’s “smooth” organisation and “beautiful” portrayal of its sustainability and simplicity themes.
“I woke up this morning and my phone was all notifications – I had no way of scrolling to the end. It seems kind of weird because I didn’t really do anything out of the ordinary. I just did my job and waved the flag.
“But it’s very fun and supportive to know that a lot of Chinese netizens think I’m attractive. It’s heartwarming.”