by sportswriters Gao Meng and Li Jia
HARBIN, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) --"You can't even do a triple jump. Why go?"
This question, posed by his younger brother, stayed with Malaysian figure skater Low Chun Hong all the way from Malaysia to Harbin, China.
Two days before his 30th birthday, Low became the first skater coming up the stage to complete the men's singles event at the Harbin Asian Winter Games on Thursday, earning a combined score of 84.92 points - a score lower than the short program marks of Japan's Olympic silver medalist Yuma Kagiyama and South Korea's Cha Jun-hwan.
Yet, Low's smile as he left the ice was unwavering. "This is my first Asian Winter Games. It's thrilling," he told reporters, still breathless. "When I finished that final spin, I just thought: I made it."
Nine years ago, Low was a law student with little interest in sports. "I skipped almost every gym class," he admitted. However, a chance visit to a newly opened ice rink near his home - a rarity in his tropical homeland - changed his trajectory.
"I saw girls spinning on the ice, and something clicked," he recalled. "I thought: I want to do that as well."
What began as curiosity soon turned into an obsession. Although his mother was initially hesitant about him leaving a legal career for a sport with little future in Malaysia, Low remained determined. After his first coach left in 2017, he turned to YouTube tutorials for guidance and worked as an ice rink technician, blade sharpener, and installer to fund his training.
Today, Low coaches students aged 7 to 40 in a country where even a double jump was once considered extraordinary. "Now, doubles are basic here. We're working on triples," he said. His phone buzzed nonstop after his free skate with messages from students watching him perform over 5,000 kilometers away.
When asked about his coaching philosophy, Low laughed: "If a kid can smile after falling, they'll find joy in this sport. I just want them to love skating like I do."
His motivation for coming to Harbin was candidly personal. "A selfish reason," he confessed. "I wanted to watch the top skaters live." His brother had questioned his participation without a triple jump. "I told him: This is how I learn."
At 21, Low never considered himself late to start. At 29, age remains irrelevant. "I'll keep jumping as long as my body allows," he affirmed.
As he hurried to watch the next skater, Low left with a final thought: "I wished to perform first, so I could see everyone else afterward. Now, it's time to enjoy the show."
In a sport dominated by East Asian nations, Low's journey - from tropical humidity to unwavering determination - is a victory in itself. ■
