Paris, France, July 29, 2024: Winning Olympic gold is hard enough. Defending that title is even harder.
But that’s exactly what Hong Kong, China fencer Cheung Ka Long did at on Monday evening, retaining his Olympic men’s foil individual title from Tokyo 2020.
Seeded four, left-hander Cheung edged Italy’s top seed Filippo Macchi 15-14 in the final to end a day in which he had also defeated opponents from Canada, China, France and Japan.
Cheung became the first athlete from Hong Kong, China to win medals at two Olympic Games, and this was the team’s second fencing gold of Paris 2024 after Vivian Kong’s victory in the women’s epee individual.
Chef de Mission Dr. Brian Stevenson praised Cheung’s technical and mental qualities during a long day of competition.
“On the road to defending his gold medal, Ka Long fought with a number of top athletes. He fell behind a few times but beat his opponents and progressed to the final by his flexible strategy and decisive striking skills,” said Dr. Stevenson.
“During the gold medal match, Ka Long once again demonstrated determination and perseverance and was crowned an Olympic champion for the second time. He has become one of the very few fencing athletes who managed to defend their gold medals.
“At Paris 2024, the fencing team has earned two gold medals in men’s and women’s events. It is a testament of their excellence.”
*Hong Kong, China also won a bronze medal in swimming on Monday when two-time Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Siobhan Haughey finished third in the women’s 200m freestyle.
“The two athletes have remained at the top level and achieved remarkable results at various international competitions after taking home medals at the last Olympic Games. The city is very proud and delighted to see them bagging an additional Olympic medal tonight,” Dr. Stevenson added.
“Hong Kong has so far won two golds and one bronze at Paris 2024, showcasing to the world the extraordinary capabilities of Hong Kong athletes. I wish our fellow athletes will continue to strive for the best results in other upcoming events at Paris 2024.”
