Hong Kong-born skier shut out of Winter Olympics over passport issue

Freestyle skier Alexander Glavatsky-Yeadon has conquered some of the world's toughest pistes but has now come across an obstacle that is threatening to derail his dreams of taking part at the Sochi Winter Olympics - the vexed issue of a local athlete needing a Hong Kong passport to represent the city.

"I have represented Hong Kong since 2006, but today I find myself frustrated knowing that I might not be able to take part unless I give up my foreign passports, and this even though I was born here and hold a permanent ID card," said the 19-year-old.

Glavatsky-Yeadon is on the verge of qualifying for the Olympics. But he is in limbo as far as his eligibility is concerned, and in a place that has been occupied by many local athletes in the past, most notably swimmer Hannah Wilson, who had to get special dispensation from the International Olympic Committee to take part at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics.

Glavatsky-Yeadon, a former French International School student, is ranked 64th in the world. At a recent World Cup Grand Prix leg in New Zealand, he was placed 34th in the half-pipe, beating three out of four of the Russian team who are the hosts for next year's Winter Games.

"I need to finish in the top 30 at a World Cup, and there are three more events remaining to win a qualifying berth for the Olympics. I'm very confident I can do that, but it might all be in vain," said a dejected Glavatsky-Yeadon, who holds both Canadian and British passports.

"I would love to apply for a Hong Kong passport but the thing is that I would have to then give up my other passports and that would make it difficult for me as far as training and competing around the world goes. For example, most of my training is done in the United States and I would need to get a visa," he lamented.

His parents did apply on his behalf for a local passport two years ago. That was turned down, apparently because he was not Chinese.