How Hong Kong’s Ryan Choi went from unusual fencer to spectacular world champion
Coaches embraced Choi’s unorthodox fencing style as Hongkonger confounded convention
A colourful celebration could be on the cards for Hong Kong’s Ryan Choi Chun-yin after the newly crowned fencing world champion was challenged by his coaches to mark his achievement with a “rainbow” hairstyle.
Yet Choi, 27, has already revealed a new side to himself, the coaches told the Post, having helped to transform him from an outsider only weeks ago to best on the planet in Georgia last week.
Maurizio Zomparelli and Giacomo Fanizza, the city’s foil coaches, respectively dyed their hair and beard pink last month when Choi won his first senior international title at the Shanghai Grand Prix.
Since then, he has added Asian gold and the first world title by any Hong Kong fencer, which also lifted him from 12th in the world rankings to first – calling for an outlandish response, according to Zomparelli.
“Probably a multicoloured hairstyle this time … Ryan should be a part of this too,” the Italian said. But he already believes Choi has done something “spectacular”.
“We decided to personalise Ryan’s preparation, both in terms of fencing and athletic development,” said the former Italy and Russia coach, who oversaw nine medals, including five gold, at the London and Rio Olympics in 2012 and 2016.