The Amazing Race Wiki
Register
Advertisement


Vincent Matthew "Vince" Chung[1] and Samuel "Sam" Wu are a team of Best Buddies and the Official Winners of The Amazing Race Asia 3.

The buddies did not seem like a huge threat early on, finishing in the middle of the pack in the first two legs. However, they managed solid finishes in legs three and four, and really hit their stride by winning the Fast Forward on leg five, developing a lead over the other teams that helped them stay near the top for the next few legs. Except for one close call, they easily made the final four, where their race initially appeared to be over once Sam gave up on the ziplining Roadblock during the penultimate leg, incurring a 4-hour penalty in doing so. However, another team behind them decided to also give up on the same task, allowing Vince & Sam to limp into the final three. Although they started the final leg over four hours behind the other teams due to their penalty, they managed to do well enough in the first half of the leg to book tickets on the same flight to Phuket as Geoff & Tisha. Once they landed in Phuket, Vince & Sam were able to secure a good taxi driver, developing a lead over Geoff & Tisha that they never relinquished. As a result, they were able to cross the Finish Line as winners of The Amazing Race Asia.

Profile[]

Retrieved from axn.asia.com[2]

Vince[]

Occupation: Comedian & Host
Age: 32
Hometown: Hong Kong

Sam[]

Occupation: University Lecturer
Age: 32
Hometown: Hong Kong

Both started out as teachers but in their spare time, one is a master of words while the other plays with words. Meet Vince Matthew Chung, the former primary school teacher turned full time comedian cum host, and his best bud Samuel Wu, a university lecturer who ranks as one of the top players on the online word game, Prolific.

For those wondering, Prolific is a word puzzle much like the classic Boggle game and yes, this shows how quick thinking the duo, who make up Team Hong Kong, can be. Having met three years ago while working in Hong Kong, the 32-year-olds became fast friends due to similar passions in a variety of things, from acting, hosting, stand-up comedy, and most importantly, partying.

They actually met via mutual friends at a party and things since then have been a blast. Recalls Vince jokingly, Sam "wouldn't leave the area where the food was being served."

This also will not be the first time that the friends have participated in a competitive event together. Vince once made it as a finalist in the first ever nationwide stand-up comedy competition, "The Funniest Person in Hong Kong", and if you hear Sam tell the story, the jokes were all Sam's. "I was very proud of him," enthuses Sam. "They were all my jokes of course, but he denies it vehemently."

One thing that does stand in their way though is their hot headed nature, which has led to confrontations. Sam too has to deal with physical fears as he is terrified of needles and bees. He says, "I was hospitalized after getting stung in the head by a hornet when I was four and since then, I've had a major phobia and if anything flies near or around my head, I freeze instantly."

This is why Sam reckons that Vince is the more physical one, whereas he is the thinking part of the group. And what is their overall strategy? Sam says it is to, "always be part of the pack, and then break away to lead the pack in the middle legs of the race".

But what if it doesn't work? Vince jokes, "I want to bring banana peels to throw onto the ground so that teams running behind us will slip on them."

Yes, Vince is the more competitive of the duo, but it's because being on top is in his blood. Vince has also joined various sports teams, from softball, baseball to football throughout his life and swam competitively from age six to university.

Don't dismiss Sam either as he too can be single minded in his endeavors. Back in 2001, a desire to lose some weight made Sam go on a diet that saw him shed 20 kg over a five month period. "I went from an obese 80kg to a 60kg, through rigorous exercising and dieting," he recalls.

The one thing the duo will do however, is to soak up every experience on this race because this could be their last hoorah, since Vince might be leaving Hong Kong in the near future. You might say they have nothing to lose, but everything to strive for.

The Amazing Race Asia 3[]

Race History[]

Vince & Sam's Race History
Episode Leg Destination(s) Detour Choice
(underlined)
Roadblock
Performer
Placement Notes
1 1 Thailand Race / Rice No Roadblock 7 of 10 [1]
2 2 Thailand → Vietnam Sampan / Some Walk Sam 5 of 9
3 3 Vietnam Sticks / Stalks Vince 2 of 8
4 4 Vietnam → Taiwan Shoot It / Shape It Vince 2 of 7
5 5 Taiwan Used Fast Forward 1 of 6
6 6 Taiwan → Hong Kong Get Fishy / Get Lucky Sam 1 of 5
7 7 Hong Kong → Macau Dance / Chance Vince 2 of 5
8 8 Macau → Hong Kong → India Fish / Fill Sam 4 of 5
9 9 India Push / Crush Vince 1 of 4
10 10 India → Oman Carpet / Count It Sam 3 of 4 [2]
11 11 Oman → Thailand Pull / Plunge Sam 1 of 3
Average 2.45
Legend:
     The team finished in first place
     The team finished in last place and was eliminated from the race
     The team finished in last place in a non-elimination leg
     The team that won The Amazing Race
     The team that crossed the Finish Line second
     The team that crossed the Finish Line third
The team used the Fast Forward pass
> The team used the Yield
< Recipient of the Yield
The team used the U-Turn
Recipient of the U-Turn

Notes:
1: Vince & Sam originally arrived 5th but they did not pay their taxi driver. They were asked to pay the taxi driver first before they could be checked in.
2: Vince & Sam incurred a four-hour penalty because Sam failed to complete the Roadblock. A.D. & Fuzzie also failed to complete the Roadblock and incurred a four-hour penalty. Since they were the only two teams left to check in at that point, and A.D. & Fuzzie were also "marked for elimination" and failed to come in first place, Vince & Sam were allowed to check in immediately for a 3rd place finish, with their penalty time applied to the start of the next leg. A.D. & Fuzzie were then checked in and eliminated.

Trivia[]

Franchise Records[]

Asia[]

  • Most legs won by a team who won the race, with four first place finishes.

External links[]

Interviews[]

References[]

The Amazing Race Asia 3 Teams
 A.D. & Fuzzie
Friends 15 Years
ASS3 ADFuzzie
ASS3 GeoffTisha
 Henry & Bernie
Brother & Sister
ASS3 HenryBernie
 Ida & Tania
Actress & Heiress
ASS3 IdaTania
 Isaac & William
Brothers
ASS3 IsaacWilliam
 Mai & Oliver
Friends
ASS3 MaiOliver
 Neena & Amit
Cousins
ASS3 NeenaAmit
 Niroo & Kapil
Father & Son
ASS3 NirooKapil
 Pailin & Natalie
Beauty Queens
ASS3 PailinNatalie
 Vince & Sam
Best Buddies
ASS3 VinceSam
The Amazing Race Winners
United States
(flagship)
 Rob & Brennan
Best Friends/Lawyers
S1 RobBrennan
 Chris & Alex
Lifelong Friends
S2 ChrisAlex
 Flo & Zach
Friends
S3 FloZach
S4 ReichenChip
 Chip & Kim
Married Parents
S5 ChipKim
 Freddy & Kendra
Engaged Models
S6 FreddyKendra
S7 UchennaJoyce
 Linz Family
Siblings
S8 LinzFamily
 BJ & Tyler
Best Friends
S9 BJTyler
S10 TylerJames
S11 EricDanielle
 TK & Rachel
Newly Dating
S12 TKRachel
 Nick & Starr
Brother/Sister
S13 NickStarr
 Tammy & Victor
Siblings/Lawyers
S14 TammyVictor
S15 MeghanCheyne
 Dan & Jordan
Brothers
S16 DanJordan
 Nat & Kat
Doctors
S17 NatKat
 Kisha & Jen
Sisters
S18 KishaJen
 Ernie & Cindy
Engaged
S19 ErnieCindy
 Rachel & Dave
Army Wife & Combat Pilot
S20 RachelDave
 Josh & Brent
Goat Farmers
S21 JoshBrent
 Bates & Anthony
Hockey Brothers
S22 BatesAnthony
 Jason & Amy
Dating
S23 JasonAmy
 Dave & Connor
Father/Son
S24 DaveConnor
 Amy & Maya
Food Scientists
S25 AmyMaya
 Laura & Tyler
Blind Dating
S26 LauraTyler
 Kelsey & Joey
Dating News Anchors
S27 KelseyJoey
 Dana & Matt
Engaged
S28 DanaMatt
 Brooke & Scott
#TeamBrooke andScott
S29 BrookeScott
S30 CodyJessica
 Colin & Christie
Life Partners
S31 ColinChristie
 Will & James
Dating
S32 WillJames
 Kim & Penn
Internet Personalities
S33 KimPenn
 Derek & Claire
Reality Romance
S34 DerekClaire
 Greg & John
Brothers/Computer Scientists
S35 GregJohn
Asia
 Joe Jer & Zabrina
Co-Workers
ASS1 JoeJerZabrina
 Adrian & Collin
Gym Buddies
ASS2 AdrianCollin
 Vince & Sam
Best Buddies
ASS3 VinceSam
 Parul & Maggie
Beauty Queens
ASS5 ParulMaggie
Australia
AUS1 TylerNathan
 Daniel & Ryan
Intensive Care Nurses
AUS3 DanielRyan
 Tim & Rod
Newlyweds
AUS4 TimRod
 Heath & Toni
Memory Makers
AUS6 HeathToni
 Alli & Angie
Mother/Daughter
AUS7 AlliAngie
 Darren & Tristan
Uncle/Nephew
AUS7 DarrenTristan
 Emma & Hayley
Sisters
AUS7 EmmaHayley
Brazil
BRS1 PatríciaSane
Canada
 Tim & Tim
Father & Son
CAS1 TimTim
 Mickey & Pete
Best Friends
CAS2 MickeyPete
 Gino & Jesse
Brothers
CAS3 GinoJesse
CAS4 StephKristen
 Sam & Paul
Dating Couple
CAS5 SamPaul
 Courtney & Adam
Engaged First Responders
CAS6 CourtneyAdam
CAS7 AnthonyJames
 Catherine & Craig
Best Friends
CAS8 CatherineCraig
 Ty & Kat
Dating
CAS9 TyKat
China
CNS1 ZhongHanliangJackie
 Geng & Xin
Friends
CNS2 HanGengWuXin
CNS4 JiaJingwenXiuJiekai
China Rush
 Charlie & Rachel
Flirtatious Friends
CRS1 CharlieRachel
 Lily & Jan
Dating Couple
CRS2 LilyJan
France
 Anthony & Sonja
Cyber Friends
FRS1 AnthonySonja
Israel
 Shay & Guy
Business Partners
ILS1 ShayGuy
 Bar & Inna
Painter & Saleswoman
ILS2 BarInna
 Talia & Koby
Newlyweds
ILS3 TaliaKoby
 Shay & Shani
Friends
ILS4 ShayShani
 Amit & Raz
Father/Son
ILS5 AmitRaz
ILS6 EvelinTohar
 Tia & Fay
Models
ILS7 TiaFay
 Yael & Yosiel
Cousins
ILS8 YaelYosiel
Latin America
LAS1 TamaraMatías
LAS2 CarlosMauricio
LAS4 DanielCésar
 Giovanni & Juan Carlos
Brothers-in-Law
LAS6 GiovanniJuanCarlos
Norway
 Morten & Truls
Brothers
NOS1 MortenTruls
 Omar & Bilal
Brothers
NOS2 OmarBilal
The Philippines
 LJ & CJ
Celebrity Best Friends
PHS1 LJCJ
 Matt & Phoebe
Dating Couple
PHS2 MattPhoebe
Ukraine
 Valeria & Bohdana
Beauty Queens
UAS1 ValeriaBohdana
Vietnam
 Hương Giang & Criss
Singer/Athlete
VNS3 HươngGiangCriss
 Ngọc Anh & Nhật Anh
Diving Coaches
VNS4 NgọcAnhNhậtAnh
 Lincoln & Tiến Đạt
Hotel Manager/Rapper
VNS5 LincolnTiếnĐạt
LeHangHHenNie
Advertisement