Hong Kong at the 2002 Winter Olympics

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Hong Kong at the
2002 Winter Olympics
Flag of Hong Kong.svg
IOC code HKG
NOC Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China
Website www.hkolympic.org  (in Chinese and English)
in Salt Lake City
Competitors2 (2 women) in 1 sport
Flag bearers Cordia Tsoi (opening and closing)
Medals
Gold
0
Silver
0
Bronze
0
Total
0
Winter Olympics appearances (overview)

Hong Kong, a special administrative region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China, competed at the Winter Olympic Games for the first time at the 2002 Winter Olympics for Hong Kong in Salt Lake City, United States from 8 to 24 February 2002. This delegation, separated from the China team that consisted of athletes from mainland China only, competed under the name Hong Kong, China ( Chinese:中國香港). This was the SAR's first appearance at a Winter Olympic Games. The delegation consisted of two athletes, Tsoi Po Yee "Cordia" (蔡寶儀) and Christy Ren (任家貝). Both of them competed in the short track speed skating event.

Contents

Background

Hong Kong began competing in the Summer Olympic Games in 1952, and have participated in every Summer Olympics since, excluding the boycotted 1980 Moscow Games. [1] [2] Hong Kong was a British colony until the 1997 transfer of sovereignty from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China. [3] The SAR retained the right to send separate teams, under the name "Hong Kong, China", to the Olympics and other international sporting events that it possessed under British rule. [4] In this 2002 Winter Olympics held from 8 to 24 February in Salt Lake City, Hong Kong made its Winter Olympic Games debut. [2] Hong Kong has never won a Winter Olympics medal. [2] The Hong Kong delegation to Salt Lake City consisted of two athletes, Tsoi Po Yee and Christy Ren. Both of them competed in the short track speed skating event. Tsoi was chosen as the flag bearer for both the opening ceremony and the closing ceremony. [5]

Short track speed skating

Delta Center, where the short track speed skating events were held. Delta-center.jpg
Delta Center, where the short track speed skating events were held.

Born in Canada, Tsoi Po Yee "Cordia" was 17 years old at the time of the Salt Lake City Olympics. [6] Christy Ren, born in Hong Kong, was 18 years old. [7] Both of them were making their Olympic debut. [6] [7] Both Tsoi and Ren participated in the women's 500 m and 1000 m short track, while Ren also participated in women's 1500 m short track. [8]

On 13 February, Ren competed in the women's 1500 metres short track. She was assigned to heat one. She finished in 2 minutes and 49.666 seconds, finishing last in her group of six skaters. [9] This result was not high enough to advance, and she was placed 26th overall. [9] On 16 February, both Tsoi and Ren took part in the women's 500 metres short track. Tsoi was assigned to heat two. She finished in 52.496 seconds, placed 3rd out of 3 in her heat. Only the top two in each heat were allowed to advance to the quarterfinal, and therefore Tsoi did not advance, placed 24th overall. [10] Ren, in the heat seven, finished in 55.423 seconds, placed 4th out of 4 in her heat, did not advance and was placed 29th overall. [10] On 20 February, both Tsoi and Ren took part in the women's 1000 metres short track. Tsoi, racing in the third heat, finished in 1 minute and 48.445 seconds, placed 3rd out of 4 in her heat. Like the 500 metres race, only the top two in each heat were allowed to advance to the quarterfinal, and therefore Tsoi did not advance. She was placed 22 overall. [11] Ren was assigned to heat one. She finished in 1 minute and 50.094 seconds, finishing third out of three, did not advance and was placed 23 overall. [11] Hong Kong team did not win any medals in this Winter Olympic Game. [12]

After the Olympics, Ren founded a speed skating school in Hong Kong to provide training to local youths. [13] [14]

AthleteEventHeatQuarterfinalSemifinalFinalRef.
TimeRankTimeRankTimeRankTimeRank
Cordia Tsoi Women's 500 m short track 52.4963did not advance24 [10]
Women's 1000 m short track 1:48.4453did not advance22 [11]
Christy Ren Women's 500 m short track 55.4234did not advance29 [10]
Women's 1000 m short track 1:50.0943did not advance23 [11]
Women's 1500 m short track 2:49.6666did not advance26 [9]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "54 Boycotted in 1980". The New York Times . 10 May 1984. Archived from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 "Hong Kong". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 9 January 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  3. ↑ Singh, Harminder (1 July 2016). "Everything you need to know about Hong Kong's return to Chinese sovereignty". South China Morning Post . Archived from the original on 18 October 2017. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  4. ↑ Careem, Nazvi (28 June 2017). "One country, two teams: how Hong Kong kept its identity in the sporting arena". South China Morning Post . Archived from the original on 2 July 2017. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  5. ↑ "Olympedia – Flagbearers for Hong Kong, China". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-05-11.
  6. 1 2 "Olympedia – Cordia Tsoi". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-05-11.
  7. 1 2 "Olympedia – Christy Ren". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-05-11.
  8. ↑ "Olympedia – Hong Kong, China at the 2002 Winter Olympics". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-06-29.
  9. 1 2 3 "Olympedia – 1,500 metres, Women". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Olympedia – 500 metres, Women". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "Olympedia – 1,000 metres, Women". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  12. ↑ "Olympedia – 2002 Winter Olympics Overview". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  13. ↑ "Christy Ren". HKOlympians. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
  14. ↑ "About". Hong Kong Skating School. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
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