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Ada Li

South Korea’s Jun Chae-min anchored his team to a gold in the men’s 4x100 metres relay at the Asian Under-20 Athletics Championships in Kai Tak last weekend, but for the Hong Kong-raised sprinter, the moment felt as much like a homecoming as a breakthrough.
The 18-year-old, who moved to Hong Kong at the age of three, clocked 39.75 seconds with his teammates to seal victory on a track he knows well.
A recent South Island School graduate, Jun is set to continue his rise in the United States this autumn after securing a place at Harvard University, where he is targeting a spot in the NCAA Division One finals.
“I’ve lived here for most of my life,” Jun said. “I feel like I’m part of the culture.”
Jun, however, did not begin as a sprinter.
A keen footballer in his early years, he only turned to athletics at 13 after being introduced to the sport by neighbours. He initially tried distance running, but quickly realised sprinting was where he belonged.

“I tried both, but I fell in love with sprinting after my first session,” he said. “That was when I knew this was something I wanted to keep doing.”
His progression accelerated after he began structured, professional training in September 2022 under local coach Ivan Ho Kwun-lung, having been introduced through Hong Kong sprinter Chan Yat-lok.
He trains alongside some of the city’s leading young sprinters, including Alton Kwok Chun-ting, Jasper Koo Cheuk-fung and Chan, in a group built on both competition and camaraderie.
“We push each other a lot, but there’s no bad rivalry,” Jun said. “When we’re on the track, it’s business, but off the track we’re close friends.”
“You need a strong team and a competitive environment,” he added. “It helps you handle pressure, even when others might be faster or more experienced.”
The results soon followed.
Jun broke the 11-second barrier in the 100 metres in 2024, and a string of strong performances brought him onto South Korea’s radar.
At the Asian Under-18 Championships in Saudi Arabia in April 2025, where he first represented the country, Jun set a national under-18 record of 21.01 seconds in the 200m to take silver, finishing behind Hong Kong’s Koo.
More recently, he clocked a 100m personal best of 10.33 seconds at the Hong Kong Championships last month, which was faster than the current city under-20 record of 10.34 seconds.
While the mark signalled a major step forward, Jun said it was in line with expectations.
“It was a big personal best, but it wasn’t a surprise,” Jun said. “Based on our training data, we expected this kind of result. It just showed that the plan is working.”
His training partners are also closing in.
Chan and Kwok both ran Hong Kong best times of 10.34 seconds at the Asian Under-20 Championships, underlining the depth of the group.
“We’re all improving together,” Jun said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if someone runs faster than me this year – that is how we push each other.”
Balancing elite sport with academics has been another challenge.
As an International Baccalaureate student, Jun had to juggle academics and training, which he said required significant sacrifice.
“It was difficult at times,” he said. “I had to cut down on distractions, like going out with friends or travelling, to manage both.”
Described by coach Ho as “highly self-disciplined”, Jun believes that mindset was shaped by necessity.
“I wanted to succeed in both areas. That meant making sacrifices, but also learning how to stay consistent.” Jun said. “Because sprinting was so important to me, I had to make sure I could handle both. There were times when my discipline was challenged, but those experiences helped me build it.”

At Harvard, where he is considering a major in mechanical engineering or physics, Jun hoped to maintain that balance while adapting to a higher level of competition.
“Based on recent results, if I can replicate my personal best, I have a chance to make finals and possibly place well in the Ivy League championship,” Jun said. “The NCAA qualification after that will be much tougher, but making the finals is my main goal.”
“I’m really excited to train and compete at the Division One level,” Jun said. “I’ve raced in Asia and in Hong Kong, but this will be my first time going up against top American sprinters,” Jun added.
“I need to make sure that I train properly and can maximise all my potential to be able to make it past that round and potentially make it to the final NCAA.”
Jun plans to return and train in Hong Kong during university holidays in the future.
Looking further ahead, Jun has set his sights on representing South Korea on the biggest stage.
“My long-term goal is the Olympics, probably 2032,” Jun said. “I also want to medal at the Asian Games. For now, it’s about taking the next step and seeing how far I can go.”


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Hong Kong Athletics Championships

Jun Chae-min anchored his team to a gold in the men’s 4x100 metres relay at the Asian Under-20 Athletics Championships. Photo: Jun Chae-min

Jun Chae-min, here competing at the 2026 HKAAA pre-season athletics trial, moved to Hong Kong at the age of three. Photo: The HKAAA

Jun Chae-min (second from left) with his training partners Chan Yat-lok (left), Alton Kwok (third from left), Jasper Koo (fourth from left) and coach Ivan Ho (centre). Photo: Ada Li

China diving star Quan Hongchan in Asian Games scare after injury rules her out of trials

Quan Hongchan's last international competition was last year's World Aquatics Diving World Cup Super Final in Beijing, where she won silver in the 10m platform final. Photo: Xinhua

Quan Hongchan (right) hugs coach Chen Ruolin after winning the 10m platform at the Paris Olympics. Photo: Xinhua

More medals, records for Hong Kong on final day of Asian Under-20 Athletics Championships

Hong Kong's 4x400m relay team of (from left) Chow Chi-kiu, Jane Karlsson, Lee Tsz-yiu and Cheng Tsz-yan won the bronze, behind India and Kazakhstan. Photo: Ada Li

The city’s 4x100 team broke the Hong Kong under-20 women’s record to finish fourth. Photo: Ada Li  

Sarah Kwong became the first Hong Kong woman to throw beyond 50m on Saturday. Photo: HKAAA

Sport

Hong Kong

Jun Chae-min trains alongside some of the city’s leading young sprinters, including Alton Kwok, Jasper Koo and Chan Yat-lok


Jun Chae-min trains alongside some of the city’s leading young sprinters, including Alton Kwok, Jasper Koo and Chan Yat-lok.


National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)

Hong Kong-raised Korean sprinter chases NCAA Division 1 finals dream at Harvard

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Jun Chae-min trains alongside some of the city’s leading young sprinters, including Alton Kwok, Jasper Koo and Chan Yat-lok

Jun Chae-min trains alongside some of the city’s leading young sprinters, including Alton Kwok, Jasper Koo and Chan Yat-lok