Paris Olympics 2024: the day Wan Shiu-ming put Hong Kong on people’s lips at the 1956 Games

Former Hong Kong swimmer Wan Shiu-ming remembers one particular swim and how he was swarmed by other competitors in the canteen the next day at the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games.

Then a 16-year-old, Wan, who took part in the men’s 100-metre and 400-metre freestyle events, was one of two Hong Kong athletes, alongside fellow swimmer Cheung Kin-man, in Australia.

While neither made it past the 100m free heats at the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre, Wan left a mark in the 400m days later when he gained a two-body-length advantage over his opponents in the heats at the 50m mark.

The youngest swimmer in heat one, Wan decided to go all out once he hit the water, catching the eyes of the other coaches before being caught by the rest of the field after the first turn. He eventually finished last in five minutes, 2.6 seconds – almost 26 seconds behind heat winner Kevin O’Halloran of Australia.

“I was in lane one and heard the commentator shouting ‘the Hong Kong boy is leading’ repeatedly,” he said. “Although I fell behind after the first 50 metres, I felt a sense of accomplishment as people around the world knew the name of Hong Kong because of this.”

Wan said he was crowded by a lot of swimmers and coaches the next day both at the canteen and by the lawn, asking him where Hong Kong was located.