Tokyo Olympic champion Edgar Cheung Ka-long won gold in the Asian Fencing Championships in Seoul just six years after winning gold in the same event.
Cheung's coach Gregory Koenig said that with yesterday's win, Cheung once again proved himself the best fencer in the world while chief coach Zheng Kangzhao praised Ryan Choi Chun-yin for his consistent performances.
In the men's foil final, Cheung faced 25-year-old mainland fencer Mo Ziwei. Cheung managed to maintain the lead from the start of the match until the first break, at which point the score stood at 10-6.
In the second round, Cheung continued to exert pressure on Mo. Eventually, with a score of 15-6, Cheung was crowned Asian champion.
This marks Cheung's second gold in the tournament after his win in 2016. Further, it makes him the second Hong Kong fencer to have been crowned Asian champion twice.
Cheung's victory also avenges his teammate Choi as the latter had been eliminated by Mo in the semifinal.
Koenig said: "It's a perfect day for the men's foil team. Although I wish Choi could have made it to the final, he did his best in the semifinal and won a bronze medal."
The team had spent half a year training in Europe, Zheng added, noting their performance in the tournament was evidence of their hard work.
"Both Cheung and Choi performed consistently throughout the tournament. Indeed, the whole team showed progress after training abroad," Zheng said.
Hong Kong's fencing team has now brought home a total of two gold and two bronze medals from the tournament after Vivian Kong Man-wai and Natalie Chan Wai-ling won gold and bronze, respectively, in the women's epee event on Friday.
In the men's foil final, Cheung faced 25-year-old mainland fencer Mo Ziwei. Cheung managed to maintain the lead from the start of the match until the first break, at which point the score stood at 10-6.
In the second round, Cheung continued to exert pressure on Mo. Eventually, with a score of 15-6, Cheung was crowned Asian champion.
This marks Cheung's second gold in the tournament after his win in 2016. Further, it makes him the second Hong Kong fencer to have been crowned Asian champion twice.
Cheung's victory also avenges his teammate Choi as the latter had been eliminated by Mo in the semifinal.
Koenig said: "It's a perfect day for the men's foil team. Although I wish Choi could have made it to the final, he did his best in the semifinal and won a bronze medal."
The team had spent half a year training in Europe, Zheng added, noting their performance in the tournament was evidence of their hard work.
"Both Cheung and Choi performed consistently throughout the tournament. Indeed, the whole team showed progress after training abroad," Zheng said.
Hong Kong's fencing team has now brought home a total of two gold and two bronze medals from the tournament after Vivian Kong Man-wai and Natalie Chan Wai-ling won gold and bronze, respectively, in the women's epee event on Friday.