Cheung Ka-long’s coach says their father-son relationship key to double Olympic success
Greg Koenig believes the partnership was why Cheung has risen to the top of his sport, with his ‘best moment’ still to come in Los Angeles
The man who turned Cheung Ka-long into the city’s only two-time Olympic champion says he sometimes played the role of a father figure and that their personal relationship has been key to the Hongkonger’s success.
Greg Koenig, who has coached Hong Kong’s foil team since 2018, and in that time Cheung has become a two-time Olympic gold medallist, with victories in Tokyo and Paris.
This summer, the 27-year-old became just the third man in the history of the Games to successfully defend his foil title, and Koenig said the trust the pair developed was what “made him [Cheung] so special”.
“Could he succeed with another coach? Maybe, but I don’t think so,” Koenig said. “I think we are a perfect match due to our personalities, mindset, lifestyle and everything – it was destiny that put me in his path.”
Before the Frenchman arrived from his short stint in Taiwan, Cheung had already won three Asian Championships medals (including a gold), and two World Cup medals, and was the junior world champion.
As a team, aside from Olympic gold, Cheung rose to world No 1 and added World Cup, Grand Prix, Asian Games and World Championship success to his trophy cabinet.
