Hong Kong gold medallist Cheung Ka-long’s spirit makes him ‘great role model’: John Lee
- City leader also vows to boost support for athletes and describes their achievements as ‘source of pride for the people of Hong Kong’
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Cheung Ka-long bags Olympic gold medal for Hong Kong, while Haughey wins bronze
Hong Kong’s leader has hailed the spirit of fencer Cheung Ka-long who came from behind to strike Olympic gold in Paris, saying his persistence and efforts were a shining example for Hongkongers, as he and residents heaped praise on the athlete and bronze-medal winning swimmer Siobhan Haughey.
Cheung – who also won Hong Kong’s only gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics – made history again on Tuesday morning (Hong Kong time) by bagging the city’s second fencing gold medal in Paris, defeating Italian Filippo Macchi 15-14 in a controversial bout.
“We have proved that even if Hong Kong is a very small place, we can still do many different things,” he said. “Believe in yourself and do not give up just because you are in a small place.”
Swimmer Haughey’s bronze in the 200m freestyle took her tally of Olympic medals to three – the most achieved by any Hongkonger – including the two silvers she won at the 2020 Games.
City leader John Lee Ka-chiu, who is on an official trip in Cambodia, sent his congratulations to Cheung and his coach and described the athlete’s achievements as “a source of pride for the people of Hong Kong”.
