Cover Yung's completion of the Giant Slalom at the Milano-Cortina Winter Games (ranking 68th) marks a significant personal and regional milestone in a sport where only roughly 50% of the field typically finishes both runs in challenging conditions. (Photo: Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Yung's completion of the Giant Slalom at the Milano-Cortina Winter Games (ranking 68th) marks a significant personal and regional milestone in a sport where only roughly 50% of the field typically finishes both runs in challenging conditions. (Photo: Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
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Four years after a "brutal" debut in Beijing, Hong Kong’s premier alpine skier Adrian Yung returns to the Olympic stage at the Winter Games at Milano Cortina. In an industry with no natural snow and even less infrastructure, Yung opens up about the 70% mental game, the lessons found in failure, and why this cycle might be his final descent
Elite sport rarely allows space for reflection while the race is still being run. Yet Adrian Yung speaks with the composure of someone who understands exactly where he stands, not at the beginning, nor quite at the end, but somewhere in between. When Tatler first profiled him, he was a teenage Olympic debutant carrying the improbable weight of expectation. That weight has not disappeared, but it now rests on more mature shoulders. Speaking ahead of what may be his final Winter Games, Hong Kong’s alpine skier reflects with rare candour on failure, pressure and the mental recalibration that comes with growing older in a sport that offers little margin (and even less infrastructure) for those competing outside its traditional powerhouses.
Tatler: When you look at yourself now compared to your first Winter Olympics, what has changed most?
Adrian Yung: I wouldn’t say the way I see myself has changed, but the way I approach competition definitely has. I used to stress a lot about results and how people would perceive me. Now I try to enjoy it — the butterflies, the atmosphere, the feeling of competing. Coming from a small nation, it’s difficult to sustain a long career without infrastructure, so I’ve learned to appreciate every opportunity rather than fear the outcome.
You’ve described this Olympic cycle as possibly your last. Does it feel like an ending?
It feels like the beginning of the end. Not because of talent or skill, but mentally I don’t think I can go through this process again. My priorities have shifted. But that doesn’t change how I compete — I’ll still give everything, for myself, my family, and for Hong Kong China. I want to finish knowing I gave my absolute best.
You’ve spoken openly about how difficult your first Olympics were. What did that experience teach you?
Failure. It put me in the lowest place I’ve ever been. I questioned whether I should even continue — whether I should just stop skiing and live a normal life. But it also made me mentally tougher. I don’t think I could face a bigger challenge than the Olympics, so everything since then feels manageable. It gave me perspective.
Read more: Siobhán Haughey on life after the Olympics and making Hong Kong proud
When you travel and compete, you have time to reflect. It makes you realise how much support you’ve had… It also makes you think about giving back. I want to help the next generation have an easier path than I did.
At the elite level, how much of performance is physical, and how much is mental?
At this level, it’s probably 70 per cent mental and 30 per cent physical. Most athletes have the technical ability. The difference is confidence — whether you can bring that ability out when it matters. I’ve had races where I was confident and performed incredibly well, and others where negativity took over and everything fell apart. Learning to control that is the real challenge.
Has your relationship with pressure changed as you’ve matured?
I don’t see pressure as expectation anymore. I see it as a challenge. Before, I worried about what people expected from me. Now I focus on overcoming the challenge itself. It’s a much healthier way to compete.
Above Adrian Yung Hau Tsuen of Team Hong Kong competes in the Men's Giant Slalom at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Stelvio Alpine Skiing Centre Bormio, Italy. (Photo by Frank Heinen/VOIGT/GettyImages)
Adrian Yung Hau Tsuen of Team Hong Kong competes in the Men's Giant Slalom at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Stelvio Alpine Skiing Centre Bormio, Italy. (Photo by Frank Heinen/VOIGT/GettyImages)
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Standing in the start gate now, what goes through your mind?
This time, it’s simple: enjoy the challenge and fight to the end. In Beijing, I thought too much about the cameras, the expectations, everything that could go wrong. Now I want to enjoy the experience — the crowd, the atmosphere, the competition itself.
Alpine skiing is often described as a solitary sport. What has sustained you through the harder moments?
Perspective. When you travel and compete, you have time to reflect. It makes you realise how much support you’ve had — from family, coaches, the association. It also makes you think about giving back. I want to help the next generation have an easier path than I did.
Now read: How these Asian athletes clinched gold medals at the Olympics
How important is equipment at your level?
Trust in your equipment is everything. It’s like Formula One — every setup feels different, but performance comes down to confidence. The best equipment isn’t necessarily the fastest; it’s the one you trust completely. That confidence allows you to perform at your highest level.
When you think about the future, what matters most to you now?
Earlier in my career, I thought I had all the time in the world. Now I realise I don’t. I want to leave something behind that helps others — whether that’s through coaching or supporting the sport in another way. I don’t want to just be remembered as someone who competed. I want to contribute to what comes next.
