Hong Kong’s skaters see a bright future after Milano-Cortina but obstacles still remain
Despite the success of Joey Lam’s seventh-place finish, no Olympic-size rink and limited access to ice make competitiveness an uphill struggle
Hong Kong’s skating community is riding a new wave of confidence after Joey Lam Ching-yan’s historic seventh-place finish at Milano-Cortina 2026, the city’s best result at the Winter Olympics.
For the first time, Hong Kong had both male and female skaters at the same Winter Games, marking a milestone for a city better known for subtropical heat than frozen rinks.
“Our next major goal is to qualify in both short-track speedskating and figure skating,” Melody Yip Tan-tan, chairwoman of the Hong Kong China Skating Union (HKSU), said.
“We have several promising figure skaters at the junior level. I believe a breakthrough isn’t far off. For short-track, the aim is to qualify for more Olympic events and keep raising our international competitiveness.”
Despite the progress, Hong Kong’s skaters train in a landscape defined by scarcity. With no Olympic-size rink and limited access to ice, athletes say local conditions make global competitiveness an uphill battle.
“We always struggle to adapt when competing overseas because the rinks are much larger than what we train on,” said figure skater Jarvis Ho, who has represented Hong Kong at the Four Continents and Olympic qualifiers.