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

The 22-year-old short-track speed skater was thrilled to share the rink with world record-holder Wu Dajin and appreciated the national teams’ friendliness

‘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,’ Chu says

2-MIN READ2-MIN

Hong Kong short-track speedskater Sidney Chu at the Beijing Winter Olympic Games at the Capital Indoor Stadium. Photo: Handout

Published: 6:01pm, 20 Feb 2022

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.

(From left) Hong Kong Winter Olympians Sidney Chu, Adrian Yung Hau-tsuen, chef de mission Karl Kwok Chi-leung and Audrey King at the Beijing Winter Olympic Games at the Yanqing National Alpine Skiing Centre. Photo: HKSF&OC

“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.”