Meet the team

With an average age of 19, get to know the three athletes— one skater and two skiers—competing for Hong Kong at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics this month AUDREY KING

Age: 18

Olympic event: alpine skiing—slalom

King first tried skiing as a toddler, but grew up with gymnastics as her main sport. After instructors told her parents she had promise, she joined the Hong Kong ski team aged 13, began racing a year later, and was soon taking the sport seriously, taking months out of school to train and spending Christmas breaks on the slopes. This will be a year to remember for King: as well as competing in Beijing, she will start at Harvard University in the autumn. She comes from a family of ski enthusiasts: her father, Stephen King, owns the Hong Kong ski simulation centre Skitech, which has given homegrown skiers a place to maintain their technique while travelling to real snow slopes was off-limits.

ADRIAN YUNG

Age: 17

Olympic event: alpine skiing—slalom A self-professed “adrenaline junkie”, Adrian is the youngest member of the 2022 Winter Olympic team and the first to qualify. His first taste of skiing was on holiday to Japan as a toddler. He lived in Hong Kong until he was five and moved to the UK where, aged eight, he began ski racing and training with British club Downhill Only; at 12, he was selected for the under-14 English national squad. He was then recruited by the Hong Kong team and began competing internationally at events, including the first Children of Asia Winter Games in Russia and China’s 14th National Winter Games in 2019.

SIDNEY CHU

Age: 22

Olympic event: short track speed skating

Chu gained his place at the Olympics after his teammate Sui Xin was unable to secure a Hong Kong passport in time. Although he regards himself as more of a middle-distance speed skater, he will be racing in the shortest category, the 500m. He began playing ice hockey aged five, but as a teenager turned his blades to speed skating, which he describes as “Nascar on ice”. After graduating from university in the US last year, he now trains full-time as a professional athlete.

“Until Arabella competed at the last Olympics, I never really knew what was possible or what could be done. So I think it would be really wonderful if some young girl that grew up in Hong Kong could see the possibilities of winter sport, and that it is possible to grow up in Hong Kong and still participate at a competitive level.”

“It’s definitely my greatest honour so far to be able to represent my home on the biggest stage of winter sports in the world. I’m pretty speechless, to be honest. I’m also a bit scared. I just want to do my best and represent Hong Kong to the best of my ability.”

“Going to the Olympics, I will use whatever means possible to remain calm and focused. Recently, we’ve had a lot of distractions outside training. Setting those distractions aside, and focusing on doing my absolute best, no matter what result that gives me, is really important.”