Winter Olympics: Hong Kong’s Sidney Chu ‘very satisfied’ after finishing third despite failing to reach 500m short-track speedskating quarter-finals
- ‘To compete next to Wu Dajing is already an incredible achievement,’ the 22-year-old says of China’s reigning Olympic champion
- Chu hopes Hong Kong’s support for the Olympic delegation will help to ‘improve and expand’ the local short-track scene
Sidney Chu finished third in his Beijing Winter Olympics men’s 500m short-track speedskating heat at the Capital Indoor Stadium on Friday night, making history as Hong Kong’s first-ever athlete to take part in the event.
The 22-year-old clocked a time of 44.90 seconds as reigning Olympic champion Wu Dajing and world championship bronze medallist Pietro Sighel eased through to the next rounds with 40.24 and 40.37, respectively.
Though he did not qualify or set a new personal best, Chu said he left the rink with invaluable experience. Meanwhile, European championship silver medallist Dylan Hoogerwerf rounded up the heat with a “Did Not Finish” after slipping midway.
“The result was not ideal, but to compete next to Wu Dajing is already an incredible achievement,” world No 80 Chu told TVB after the race, adding that he was forced to slow down after Dutchman Hoogerwerf clipped him at the start line.
“It’s a pity, especially because I wasn’t used to starting next to my opponents. But I have completed my mission of challenging myself and keeping up with the top-ranked skaters in the world, which has already helped me develop a lot.