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Mike Chan

Hong Kong’s fencing team said they were disappointed but not defeated by the men’s individual foil results, after Cheung Ka-long only took home a bronze medal at the National Games on Sunday.
World champion Ryan Choi Chun-yin had fallen first in the quarter-finals, losing 15-9 to Xu Jie and ending any hopes of a mouthwatering last four clash with Cheung.
Xu, who was representing Fujian, then went on to beat two-time Olympic champion Cheung by an identical score.
Despite eventually securing a bronze medal with an emphatic 15-2 victory over Zeng Zhaoran, Cheung did not hide his disappointment afterwards.


“I am not happy with just a bronze medal,” he said. “I told myself I could not lose [before the semi-final] because I didn’t want to fight for the bronze as it was stressful. But Xu was really good and I didn’t grasp my opportunities.”
Xu then went on to beat 15-year-old Zou Tianyi of Jiangsu for the gold medal.
Ranked No 13 in the world, Cheung also admitted he had been impatient in the semi-final and had thrown away a 9-5 lead.
“It was a close start from the beginning and I couldn’t pull away,” the 28-year-old said. “I couldn’t find a way and tried to go faster but it didn’t work out.
“Referees are subjective but it’s our job as athletes to adapt to them. This is what I didn’t do well today, and there was nothing wrong with the referee today.”
After his quarter-final defeat to Xu, world No 1 Choi revealed that he was “carrying a flu and slept only three hours” overnight.
“There was a lot of pressure … not because of my status and titles, but my body condition,” he said. “I am still sick, I am coughing a lot.

“I was worried that I would get injured, because I am not in my best condition. I was nervous because of my sickness. I was not nervous during the bout; I think I did rather well under such conditions.”
Choi added that he rarely thought about his rankings and said he still has a lot of room for improvement.
“To have a multi-sports Games at the start of the season, it felt like a good preview for the Asian Games next year,” he said. “I definitely handled pressure better this year than I did a few years ago.
“If I manage to keep doing this, I’ll be OK and able to enjoy competing at the Nagoya Games.”
Greg Koenig, the city’s foil team head coach, said he was expecting more than just a bronze medal but he remained positive for the team event and the season ahead.
“When you have one fencer who is a two-time Olympic champion, the other one is a world champion, you hope one of these guys is able to bring the gold medal,” the Frenchman said. “It was very close and I really think Cheung had everything to win [today].

“But what was amazing is he could find the psychological resources to go back, so I am very happy about this.”
With the seedings of the team event relying on the fencers’ individual placings, and with Cheung and Choi finishing in the top five, Hong Kong are expected to be ranked highly.
“I always look at the top prize in every competition, I didn’t get it in the individual event, but I still have faith in myself and my teammates,” Choi said. “I feel more empowered playing with the team because there are more people around, so I have more confidence in the team event than I do individually.”


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National Games: Hong Kong fencers disappointed with foil bronze, vow to do better as a team

Cheung Ka-long after winning his bronze medal match. Photo: Elson Li

Ryan Choi lost in the quarter-finals to Xu Jie, who went on to beat Cheung. Photo: Elson Li

All smiles from foil coach Greg Koenig and Cheung Ka-long. Photo: Elson Li

National Games: Hong Kong fencers Aaron Ho, Kaylin Hsieh win first medals but fall short

Aaron Ho became the first sabreist from the city to reach the final of the National Games, but lost in the final to Shandong’s Wei Zhenhao. Photo: Elson Li

Kaylin Hsieh failed to make the final but was pleased with her first National Games medal. Photo: Elson Li

Hong Kong triathletes hungry for more National Games joy after Oscar Coggins’ bronze

Oscar Coggins (left) and coach Andrew Wright on the triathlon podium after Saturday’s individual race. Photo: Eugene Lee

Hong Kong’s Robin Elg is exhausted at the end of Saturday’s race. Photo: Eugene Lee

Hong Kong’s triathletes aimed to start aggressively to cut adrift some of their rivals. Photo: Eugene Lee

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Hong Kong

Other Sport

Coach Greg Koenig says he is expecting more as both world No 1 Ryan Choi and Olympic champion Cheung Ka-long lose to eventual winner


Coach Greg Koenig says he is expecting more as both world No 1 Ryan Choi and Olympic champion Cheung Ka-long lose to eventual winner.


Fencing

Cheung Ka-long

Ryan Choi Chun-yin

Greg Koenig

National Games: Hong Kong fencers disappointed with foil bronze, vow to do better as a team

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Coach Greg Koenig says he is expecting more as both world No 1 Ryan Choi and Olympic champion Cheung Ka-long lose to eventual winner

Coach Greg Koenig says he is expecting more as both world No 1 Ryan Choi and Olympic champion Cheung Ka-long lose to eventual winner