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Hong Kong fencer Cheung Ka-long reveals secret to success in epic Olympic gold medal bout

Fencing legend also says he was in ‘really poor’ condition before the Paris Games

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Hong Kong’s Cheung Ka-long (right) takes on Italy’s Filippo Macchi for the Olympic gold medal in Paris. Photo: AP Photo
Hong Kong fencing legend Cheung Ka-long has revealed how he kept focused during the final moments of his gold medal bout at the Paris Olympic Games, despite feeling intense pressure beforehand and being “not quite himself” on the day.
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Gold medal winner Cheung provided the insights as he shared his experience with students along with four other Olympians and Paralympians at Baptist University on Tuesday.

The foil fencer bagged his second Olympic gold by defeating Italian Filippo Macchi in a nerve-racking 15-14 victory in Paris. He won his first gold medal at the Tokyo Games in 2021.

“I had few feelings. I always focused on my next move and avoided emotional fluctuations,” Cheung said, referring to the final moments of his match.

“My coach must have been mad at me as I lagged behind [Macchi] and tied again many times,” he joked.

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But Cheung revealed that he was not quite himself before the match.

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