A classic object does not have to pretend it was manufactured yesterday to remain desirable.
Age can become part of its character.
The Judge Who Accidentally Won the Audience
There were real winners in Chengdu.
Medals were awarded.
Couples were ranked.
Athletes returned home with the results of years of training.
Sinkins did none of those things.
He was not eligible for a medal.
His job was to decide who deserved one.
Yet when audiences looked back at the DanceSport competition, many remembered the tall Latvian judge standing beside the floor in his black suit.
The competitors had worked to capture the judges' attention.
Sinkins somehow captured the audience's attention without trying.
And perhaps that is the most appealing part of the story.
The image that went viral was not carefully manufactured for the internet.
It was the consequence of habits developed over nearly five decades.
A seven-year-old boy began dancing.
He kept dancing.
He competed.
He coached.
He became a judge.
Years of training changed the way he moved and stood until those habits became almost invisible to him.
Then, at 55 years old, he walked into a gymnasium in Chengdu to do another day's work.
The cameras noticed.
The audience noticed.
And suddenly millions of strangers were discussing posture, elegance, DanceSport and whether a Latvian adjudicator looked like a character who had stepped out of a manga illustration.
Sinkins seemed as surprised as anyone.
He had not come to Chengdu to become an internet celebrity.
He came to judge dancers.
But for a few days at The World Games, the roles reversed.
The dancers performed.
The judge watched them.
And the rest of the world watched the judge.
Sources
This article draws on the World DanceSport Federation, whose official records confirm Sinkins' nationality, 1970 birth year, active adjudicator status and assignments at The World Games 2025.
Xinhua News Agency provided reporting from Chengdu on Sinkins' 1.91-meter height, his start in dance at age seven, his professional dancing background, his reaction to becoming viral and his views on posture and DanceSport.
The South China Morning Post documented the “Mr Ferrari” nickname, its meaning on Chinese social media and the scale of interest surrounding Sinkins on RedNote.
China Daily reported Sinkins' explanation of how lifelong dance and working with younger generations contributed to his posture and youthful energy, as well as his broader views on the artistic and physical dimensions of DanceSport.
The International World Games Association and the official Chengdu 2025 records supplied information about the scale, dates and sporting program of The World Games 2025.
The Latvian Sport Dance Federation independently identifies Sinkins as a registered judge and coach.