Hong Kong savours Cheung Ka-long gold, Siobhan Haughey bronze at Paris Olympics
- ‘Best moment of my life’ for Cheung, who makes fencing history minutes after Haughey finishes third in 200m freestyle
Cheung Ka-long produced a stunning performance on Monday night in Paris, winning gold for the second consecutive Games and adding another chapter to Hong Kong’s increasingly impressive Olympic history.
The defending champion was taken to the wire by Italian Filipo Macchi, and at 14-12 down looked as though he would have to settle for silver, but on a night filled with drama, when both men believed they had won at the death, it was Cheung who got the decisive touch to win 15-14.
Hong Kong leader John Lee Ka-chiu said Cheung, who won his first gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, had become a “a source of great pride for the people of the city”, while the 27-year-old called his achievement “the best moment of my life”.
And on another glorious evening for Hong Kong sport, Siobhan Haughey won bronze in the women’s 200m freestyle, becoming the only athlete from the city to have three Olympic medals to their name.
Haughey is among the favourites in the 100m freestyle, the final of which is on Wednesday, and could yet add another gold medal to the city’s tally.
“Cheung Ka-long finally defeated his opponent with the last strike. I was thrilled,” Lee told reporters during a visit to Laos. “I believe everyone in Hong Kong is as happy as me.”
