Hong Kong, China short track speed skater Joey Lam made history on Saturday at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, securing a seventh-place finish in the women's 1,500-metre event.

It's the best-ever Winter Olympic result by the SAR delegation.

The 19-year-old debutante far surpassed her initial goal of a top-20 finish, crossing the line in two minutes and 35.755 seconds.

Speaking after the race, Lam described the result as "unbelievable," admitting she had not expected to reach the final.

Savouring the moment, she also thanked her supporters.

"It felt like a dream, I never thought I would have such a great achievement. Even before the race, I still thought it was unimaginable because there were many elite and world-class athletes competing against me," Lam said.

"I found it really amazing. I really never saw it coming; it really felt like a dream."

Lam’s path to the final was anything but easy.

She came fourth in her quarter-final heat but advanced to the semis as one of the three fastest skaters outside of the automatic qualifiers.

In the semis, she delivered an outstanding performance to finish second in her heat, earning her a historic place in the final round, where she ultimately ranked seventh.

South Korea dominated the event, with Kim Gil-li taking gold in two minutes and 32.076 seconds, followed close behind by teammate Choi Min-jeong.

The United States’ Corinne Stoddard claimed the bronze.

Lam’s performance surpassed the SAR’s previous best in short track speed skating, set by Sidney Chu, who placed 24th in the men’s 500-metre event at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.



Edited by Robert Kemp