Heading into the Paris Olympics, Vivian Kong Man Wai was the No. 1-ranked women’s épée fencer in the world. A two-time world bronze medalist and three-time Asian Championships winner, Kong entered her third consecutive Games aiming for an elusive Olympic medal. The 30-year-old was guaranteed just that by reaching the final, but was quickly up against a tough opponent (Auriane Mallo-Breton of France), a very partisan crowd, and a 7-1 points deficit. That was when she checked the scoreboard and, according to Tatler Asia in a post-match interview, said, “I didn’t want to lose too badly. I didn’t want to give up before showing people the spirit of Hong Kong.”
As the odds stacked against her, Kong somehow forced the proceedings into a sudden death tiebreaker and won the gold medal by a score of 13-12. With the victory, she became the third-ever gold medalist from Hong Kong (10th medalist overall, first medal in women’s fencing). Her win led to the most successful Olympics in Hong Kong history, building on the growing accolades of Edgar Cheung Ka Long (the fencer who successfully defended his Tokyo 2020 title in men’s individual foil) and Siobhan Haughey (the University of Michigan trained swimmer who won two silvers in Tokyo and two bronzes in Paris). Kong immediately retired after Paris, and is juggling a new role at the Hong Kong Jockey Club with speaking engagements and law degree studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Photos and Videos: Women’s fencing individual epee gold medalist Vivian Kong (Hong Kong), Grand Palais, Paris
all photos and videos by Meniscus Magazine
