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Header image courtesy of Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China
Just one day after the official commencement of the 2024 Paris Olympics, Hong Kong has already won its first gold medal. Congratulations to Vivian Kong Man-wai on cinching the highest honours in individual women’s épée on 27 July—and good luck to the Hong Kong athletes set to compete in various categories in the upcoming days!
Three-time Olympian Kong competed in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, as well as in Tokyo in 2021, but this is her first Olympic medal. Kong snatched the victory from host opponent Auriane Mallo-Breton in the final at just 13–12, and was determined to win after a difficult semi-final match which kept Hong Kong audiences on the edge of their seats till late in the night.
At 30 years old, Kong becomes the first female fencer in history to win an Olympic gold medal for Hong Kong. Back in 2019, she had also become the first Hong Kong fencer to bring home a fencing World Cup title at the FIE Women’s Épée World Cup in Cuba.
Hong Kong won six medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and we’re hoping this first gold medal, early on in the competition, is a sign that our athletes will bring home just as many this time around, if not more. Here’s to many more wins during the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Born and raised in the French countryside, Lily arrived in Hong Kong looking for an adventure. Passionate about books, she spent some time in Parisian publishing houses and is the author of an illustrated book about hair. Life in Hong Kong for her entails looking for seaside places to eat and a lot of hiking.
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