After a tense and dramatic bout of showmanship, Hong Kong’s reigning fencing king Edgar Cheung Ka-long once again takes the gold in the final bout of men’s individual foil in the early hours of July 30 Hong Kong time (HKT).
Squaring off against Italy’s Filippo Macchi, Cheung mounted a steady offence as he made the first score and carried the game to a 9-6 advantage. The table was equalised halfway through the match at 10-10, before Macchi gained the advantage to 13 points. Cheung then regrouped his efforts to tie the scoreboard until match point, at which point both athletes were closely matched enough that the decisive score had to be rematched twice before Cheung finally secured the win.
Speaking to local media channels, Cheung said, “It’s the best moment of my life. To win the match [here] with a French coach, I’m happy, no regrets.” He elaborated, “Before the match, I honestly wasn’t feeling in my best condition – this morning when I woke up, as well. But I just had to stay positive.” Cheung expressed a hope that his performance will inspire more Hongkongers to join fencing or become athletes. His fencing coach Greg Koenig also thanked Hong Kong viewers who stayed up late to watch the match in support.
This marks Cheung’s second gold medal after his win at the individual men’s foil during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, and Hong Kong’s second gold medal at the current Paris games. His teammate Vivian Kong had earlier clinched gold as well in the women’s Épée individual finals on July 28 HKT.
Previously in the day through to July 29, Cheung faced off against mainland China’s Mo Ziwei and Canada’s Daniel Gu in the table rounds, before defeating French fencer Enzo Lefort and Japan’s Kazuki Iimura in the quarter- and semi-finals, respectively.
Just shortly before Cheung's win, Hong Kong swimmer Siobhan Haughey also won a bronze medal in the women's 200m freestyle, bringing the total of Hong Kong's medal count to two gold and one bronze. For more on what's to come at the 2024 Paris Olympics, check out our extensive guide on upcoming schedules for other Hong Kong athletes, recaps, and more.
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