The athletes had spent years preparing for the moment.
They arrived in Chengdu wearing elaborate costumes, carrying the expectations of their countries and ready to perform in front of judges whose scores could determine whether they left The World Games with a medal.
But during the DanceSport competition at The World Games 2025, something unexpected happened.
One of the judges began attracting almost as much attention as the people he was supposed to be judging.
His name was Sergejs Sinkins, a Latvian DanceSport adjudicator born in 1970. At 55, he was not competing, giving a performance or attempting to entertain the crowd. He was simply standing beside the dance floor, observing competitors and carrying out the responsibilities of an international judge.
Yet cameras kept finding him.
At 1.91 meters tall, with silver hair, a lean frame, unusually straight posture and a carefully fitted dark suit, Sinkins immediately stood out. His movements were controlled. His shoulders remained straight. Even when he was simply walking across the venue or waiting quietly near the competition floor, he carried himself with the precision of someone who had spent almost his entire life thinking about movement.
Photographs and short videos began spreading across Chinese social media.
Before long, spectators were talking about the judge rather than only the dancers.
Some viewers compared his proportions and appearance to the exaggerated elegance of a fictional manga or anime character. Others focused on his almost impossibly upright posture. Many simply wanted to know who the silver-haired man in the black suit was.
And then came the nickname that followed him around the internet:
“Mr Ferrari.”
According to the South China Morning Post, Chinese social-media users began using the Ferrari comparison to describe Sinkins as someone who remained stylish, striking and “cool” despite getting older. The paper reported that hashtags connected with “Mr Ferrari” accumulated more than 20 million views on RedNote as his unexpected popularity spread.
The irony was difficult to miss.
The competitors had arrived in Chengdu expecting the judges to watch them.
Instead, millions of people started watching one of the judges.
He Was Only Doing His Job
Sinkins did not arrive at the Chengbei Gymnasium with a publicity strategy.
There was no viral stunt.
No dramatic entrance.
No speech designed for social media.
He had been officially appointed to judge the competition. World DanceSport Federation records confirm that Sinkins served as an adjudicator for The World Games events in Chengdu on August 8 and 9, 2025, covering the Adult Latin and Adult Standard disciplines.
The competition itself was part of a much larger international sporting event.
The 12th edition of The World Games took place in Chengdu, China, from August 7 to August 17, 2025. The International World Games Association reported participation by roughly 4,000 athletes, while its subsequent evaluation listed 3,895 athletes representing 111 nations, competing across 34 sports and 256 medal events.
DanceSport had its own showcase at Chengbei Gymnasium.
According to the World DanceSport Federation, the Adult Latin competition was held on August 8 and Adult Standard followed on August 9, with competitors progressing through quarterfinals, semifinals and finals.
Sinkins was one of the officials responsible for evaluating them.
That normally means the judge is supposed to remain in the background.
The dancers are the spectacle.
Judges observe technique, musicality, partnership, movement quality and presentation. They need to remain focused, professional and neutral even as dramatic music, elaborate costumes and fast-moving couples compete for their attention.
Yet something about Sinkins' presence made anonymity impossible.
Xinhua reported that photographs and videos showed him doing the most ordinary parts of his work: walking toward his position, standing beside the floor, watching competitors and waiting between rounds.
Those simple moments were enough.
“I’m surprised and grateful,” Sinkins told Xinhua after learning that he had become an online sensation. He explained that he had simply been doing his job and that the audience had chosen to notice him.
That reaction may have helped his popularity grow even further.
There was no apparent attempt to capitalize on the attention in the moment.
He seemed almost confused by it.
For viewers, that made the entire story more charming.
Why Everyone Noticed His Posture
The most frequently discussed feature was not Sinkins' suit or silver hair.
It was his posture.