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Mike Chan

Hong Kong sprinter Alton Kwok Chun-ting said he believes he has the know-how to achieve his lofty goals this year and in the not-too-distant future.
The confident 18-year-old was at one point the fastest under-20 sprinter in Hong Kong, clocking 10.36 seconds in the 100m at the Asian Under-20 Championships. The current record holder is Chan Yat-lok with 10.34 seconds at the same event.
“I want to reach the final at the World Athletics U20 Championships this summer; I want to stand on the Asian Games podium, but it does not have to be in Nagoya; I want to be the first Hongkonger to stop the clock under 10 seconds [in the 100m], and I believe I can do that,” Kwok told the South China Morning Post.
“I cried like hell in my last U20 world championships in Peru two years ago after failing to reach even the semi-finals,” said Kwok.
Heading into the Asian Under-20 Athletics Championships at Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground, the young runner held the Hong Kong under-20 record of 10.37 seconds, which he beat in the first semi-final with 10.36 seconds at the end of May.
“This August is my last U20 World Championship, this is my last chance, and I want to do something. I know it is difficult because quite a number of sprinters are running under 10 seconds. This is a very important event for me, and a proof to myself, it means I am on the right path and that I am correct with my self-confidence if I can perform at the world level.”

His record, however, was short-lived as teammate Chan clocked 10.34 seconds in the next semi-final. Kwok took home silver in the final – one better than the bronze he won in the UAE two years ago – in 10.35 seconds, another personal best time. China’s Dai Hongyu won gold in 10.28 seconds.
“I knew I could get a medal and was looking at the gold, but what I learned was that I should not be too harsh on myself at times,” said Kwok, who turns 19 in October.
“I was carrying a major injury and only clocked 10.89 at the local championship just two weeks ago. Two consecutive medals proved my ability.
“Improvement is a step-by-step process; it is not snapping a finger. I do have some very difficult goals, but it is one step at a time for me. You may improve by only 0.1 second this year, but it could be 0.4 next year; these things are not surprising.”
While Kwok acknowledged the improvement of his best time was not massive, he said his biggest progress this past year was mental and the inspiration the sport had given him.
“The past 12 to 14 months were the biggest progress personally, it might not have reflected in my time, but in my mind, progress is measured by how much you’ve learned or understood,” said the University of Hong Kong (HKU) business student, who decided to pause his academic journey to focus on the sport he first picked up as a primary 2 pupil.
“Say, for example, the awareness of my body and movement, these are things that many people overlook. I think this is the most difficult sport in the world because you need to make sure you do everything right at such a high speed; the margin of error in the 100m sprint is zero.
“I think mental and psychological improvements, or software upgrades, so to speak, are more important than the hardware upgrade. If you are enlightened, or have knowledge of something, it then becomes your habit.”
Kwok also revealed his coach, Ivan Ho Kwan-lung, who competed in the men’s 4x100m relay at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, would call him “annoying” at times because he asked too many questions.
“As an athlete, I think you need to work extremely hard to understand the underlying reasons before you can perfectly execute what your coach teaches you,” said Kwok, who idolises Cristiano Ronaldo for his work ethic. “This is what I am trying to do this year, to execute what I was taught with the right method.
“If you know why you can finish a race in 10.30 seconds, chances are you can emulate that in your next race. I considered it my strength, knowing exactly what I need to do each race, I know why I am taking a specific step or doing a certain move.”

After the under-20 world championships in Oregon and the Asian Games in Japan, Kwok expected to continue his studies for a year before shifting his focus back to qualifying for the Los Angeles Olympic Games.
“I appreciate the freedom HKU gave me to [pause my studies and] train. There is always a limit for an athlete’s career, but I can study after I retire,” the two-time Asian U20 Championships medallist said.
“There is absolutely no plan to train overseas, too. I feel like my coach and my physiotherapist will be the reasons for me to achieve sub-10 seconds; they will be the most important people in my career. My coach might be harsh and say he does not know how to coach me, but I know he is helping me; he is who I need.”


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Alton Kwok in action in the men’s 100m sprint at the Asian Under-20 Athletics Championships. Photo: Handout

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The 18-year-old states that biggest improvements in past year are mental and how the sport has helped him become enlightened and form habits


The 18-year-old states that biggest improvements in past year are mental and how the sport has helped him become enlightened and form habits.


Hong Kong sprinter Alton Kwok believes he is on track to achieve lofty goals

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The 18-year-old states that biggest improvements in past year are mental and how the sport has helped him become enlightened and form habits

The 18-year-old states that biggest improvements in past year are mental and how the sport has helped him become enlightened and form habits