Cheung Ka Long Explained
Edgar Cheung Ka-long (; born 10 June 1997) is a Hong Kong left-handed foil fencer, two-time Olympic champion and two-time individual Asian champion, having won the gold medal at the 2020[1] and 2024 Summer Olympics.[2]
Cheung is the first athlete representing Hong Kong in history to win consecutive Olympic gold medals in fencing and the second to become an Olympic champion.[3] [4]
Career
Cheung Ka-long was born to parents who both played national league basketball in Hong Kong. He took up fencing in the fourth grade. In 2013, he was named Hong Kong's Most Promising Young Athlete at the Hong Kong Sports Stars Awards. In 2014, he was named an Outstanding Junior Athlete by the Hong Kong Sports Institute;[5] he won a bronze in team foil at the Asian Fencing Championships and at the Asian Games that same year. In 2015, he earned two bronzes, one in individual foil and another in team foil during the Asian Fencing Championships. In 2016, he won gold and a bronze in team in the Asian Fencing Championships. At the Olympics in foil, he defeated Heo Jun in the round of 32 before losing to Guilherme Toldo in the round of 16, finishing 14th overall.[6] In 2017, Cheung won gold in individual foil at the Junior World Championships.[7] He then earned a silver medal in individual foil and a bronze in team foil in the Asian Fencing Championships. In 2018, he won a silver in team foil at the Asian Fencing Championships along with a bronze in individual foil and a silver in team foil at the Asian Games. In 2019, he earned a silver medal in the Turin Grand Prix, a bronze in the Anaheim Grand Prix as well as a silver in individual foil and a bronze in team foil at the Asian Fencing Championships.
In 2021 at the Tokyo Olympics, Cheung and Tse Ying Suet were the flag bearers for Hong Kong.[8] In foil, he defeated Julien Mertine in the round of 32, 2018 world champion Alessio Foconi in the round of 16, Kirill Borodachev in the quarterfinals and Alexander Choupenitch in the semifinals. In the final he faced the reigning Olympic champion Daniele Garozzo; after trailing 1–4 he fought back to win by a score of 15–11.[9] [10] This was Hong Kong's first Olympic gold medal in fencing and its second-ever gold.[11] For his achievements, he was awarded the Silver Bauhinia Star, the highest possible award for an actively competing athlete.
In the 2024 Paris Olympics, Cheung successfully defended his men's foil gold medal, defeating Italian Filippo Macchi 15–14 in the final bout.[12]
Cheung is the third man to retain an Olympic foil title, after Nedo Nadi and Christian d'Oriola.[13]
Medal record
Olympic Games
World Championship
Year | Location | Event | Position |
---|
2022 | Cairo, Egypt | Individual Men's Foil | 3rd[16] |
2023 | Milan, Italy | Team Men's Foil | 3rd | |
Grand Prix
Date | Location | Event | Position |
---|
2019-02-08 | Turin, Italy | Individual Men's Foil | 2nd[17] |
2019-03-15 | Anaheim, California | Individual Men's Foil | 3rd[18] |
2023-03-19 | Busan, South Korea | Individual Men's Foil | 2nd[19] |
2024-02-11 | Turin, Italy | Individual Men's Foil | 1st[20] |
2024-05-19 | Shanghai, China | Individual Men's Foil | 1st[21] | |
World Cup
Date | Location | Event | Position |
---|
2017-05-05 | St. Petersburg, Russia | Individual Men's Foil | 3rd[22] |
2017-10-20 | Cairo, Egypt | Individual Men's Foil | 3rd[23] |
2019-05-05 | St. Petersburg, Russia | Team Men's Foil | 2nd[24] |
2020-02-23 | Cairo, Egypt | Team Men's Foil | 3rd[25] |
2022-01-15 | Paris, France | Individual Men's Foil | 1st[26] |
2023-01-12 | Paris, France | Individual Men's Foil | 3rd |
2023-05-06 | Acapulco, Mexico | Individual Men's Foil | 2nd |
2023-11-10 | Istanbul, Turkey | Individual Men's Foil | 2nd |
2023-12-10 | Tokoname, Japan | Team Men's Foil | 3rd |
2024-05-04 | Hong Kong | Team Men's Foil | 1st | |
Asian Championship
Year | Location | Event | Position |
---|
2014 | Suwon, South Korea | Team Men's Foil | 3rd[27] |
2015 | Singapore | Individual Men's Foil | 3rd[28] |
2015 | Singapore | Team Men's Foil | 3rd[29] |
2016 | Wuxi, China | Individual Men's Foil | 1st[30] |
2016 | Wuxi, China | Team Men's Foil | 3rd[31] |
2017 | Hong Kong | Individual Men's Foil | 2nd[32] |
2017 | Hong Kong | Team Men's Foil | 3rd[33] |
2018 | Bangkok, Thailand | Team Men's Foil | 2nd[34] |
2019 | Chiba, Japan | Individual Men's Foil | 2nd[35] |
2019 | Chiba, Japan | Team Men's Foil | 3rd[36] |
2022 | Seoul, South Korea | Individual Men's Foil | 1st[37] |
2022 | Seoul, South Korea | Team Men's Foil | 3rd[38] |
2023 | Wuxi, China | Team Men's Foil | 3rd[39] |
2024 | Kuwait City, Kuwait | Team Men's Foil | 3rd | |
Impact
The term "Ka-long effect" was coined after his historic gold in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Fencing schools in Hong Kong witnessed a surge in calls from parents wanting their kids to take up lessons, as the sport received a huge boost in popularity.[40] The phenomenon reoccurred in 2024 after his and Vivian Kong's fencing gold-medal wins at the 2024 Paris Olympics.[41]
Cheung's victory over Italian fencer Filippo Macchi in the 2024 Paris Olympic finals, sparked a conflict between Hong Kong and Italian netizens. Cheung's Instagram page was flooded with comments claiming Italy had been 'robbed'; in response, Hong Kong fans taunted the Italians by expressing their fondness of pineapple pizza and soy sauce spaghetti, in an effort to poke fun at the Italian disdain for pineapple as a pizza topping and to deride on Italian cuisine.[42] As a playful response to the online exchange, Pizza Hut branches in Hong Kong and Macao announced free pineapple toppings on their pizzas from 6 pm on July 30 until July 31, joining in the lighthearted jabs at Italian netizens resentful of Cheung's Olympic win.[43] [44] [45]
Notes and References
- Web site: INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website. 9 August 2021. INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website.
- Web site: Jabkhiro . Juliette . 30 July 2024 . Olympics: Fencing-A French fencing queen is crowned in gold at the Grand Palais . Reuters.
- Web site: Cheung Ka Long wins historic gold medal for Hong Kong with a victory in men's individual foil NBC Olympics. 9 August 2021. www.nbcolympics.com. en.
- Web site: 26 July 2021. Olympics-Fencing-Hong Kong's Cheung claims gold in men's foil. 9 August 2021. Reuters.
- News: Cheung Ka Long. 26 July 2021. International Fencing Federation.
- Web site: Ka Long Cheung . rio2016.com . 7 August 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160806064439/https://www.rio2016.com/en/athlete/ka-long-cheung . 6 August 2016 .
- News: Chan . Kin-wa . Hong Kong's Cheung Ka-long claims gold at world junior fencing championships . South China Morning Post . 8 April 2017 . 4.
- News: Badminton's Tse and fencer Cheung to carry SAR flag . RTHK . 9 July 2021.
- News: Siu. Phila. Hong Kong foil fencer Cheung Ka-long wins Olympic gold. 26 July 2021. Young Post, SCMP.
- News: 26 July 2021. Ho. Kelly. BREAKING: Hong Kong men's foil fencer Edgar Cheung bags historic gold medal at Tokyo Olympics. 26 July 2021. Hong Kong Free Press. en-GB.
- News: Shum . Michael . Unstoppable Cheung's stab at Games glory . 27 July 2021 . The Standard . 27 July 2021 . 26 July 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210726175321/https://paper.thestandard.com.hk/index.php?product=THESTANDARD&issue=20210727&vol=2021072700&page=23 . dead .
- Web site: 30 July 2024 . MACCHI FILIPPO VS CHEUNG KA LONG RESULTS . Paris 2024.
- Web site: 2024-07-30 . Who is Cheung Ka-long? Stunning rise of Hong Kong's twice Olympic gold medallist . 2024-07-31 . South China Morning Post . en.
- Web site: INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website. 9 August 2021. INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website.
- Web site: INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION - The International Fencing Federation official website . 2024-07-29 . INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION - The International Fencing Federation official website.
- Web site: INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website . 20 July 2022 . INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website.
- Web site: INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website. 9 August 2021. INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website.
- Web site: INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website. 9 August 2021. INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website.
- Web site: Busan Foil Grand Prix Senior Men's Foil. 9 August 2021. fencingtimelive.
- Web site: Turin - GPFIE "Trofeo Inalpi" 2024. 12 February 2024. engarde-service.
- Web site: 2024 Shanghai Foil Grand Prix. 19 May 2024. fencingtimelive.
- Web site: INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website. 9 August 2021. INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website.
- Web site: INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website. 9 August 2021. INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website.
- Web site: Historic Team Medal at Men's Foil World Cup. 19 April 2022. HKSI. en-GB.
- Web site: 【男子花劍世界盃.埃及直擊】張家朗6分鐘狂追27分 港隊絕殺法國奪銅. 19 April 2022. Sportsroad.
- Web site: HK's Cheung Ka-long wins fencing World Cup gold. 16 January 2022. RTHK. en-GB.
- Web site: INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website . 21 June 2022 . INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website.
- Web site: INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website. 9 August 2021. INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website.
- Web site: INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website. 9 August 2021. INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website.
- Web site: INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website. 9 August 2021. INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website.
- Web site: INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website. 9 August 2021. INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website.
- Web site: INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website. 9 August 2021. INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website.
- Web site: INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website. 9 August 2021. INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website.
- Web site: INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website. 9 August 2021. INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website.
- Web site: INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website. 9 August 2021. INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website.
- Web site: INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website. 9 August 2021. INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website.
- Web site: INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website. 13 June 2022. INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website.
- Web site: INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website . 21 June 2022 . INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website.
- Web site: INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website . 21 June 2022 . INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website.
- Web site: 27 July 2021. The 'Ka-long effect': Hongkongers rush for fencing lessons following historic Olympic win. 30 July 2021. Hong Kong Free Press. en-GB.
- Web site: 2024-07-30 . 巴黎奧運.香港代表|江旻憓張家朗奪金效應 劍擊學校查詢數字急增 . 2024-08-01 . Yahoo News . zh-Hant-HK.
- Web site: Master. Farah. Pang. Jessie. 31 July 2024 . Fencing-Pineapple pizza insults fly over Italian-Hong Kong fencing final . . 31 July 2024.
- News: Yoon . John . 2024-07-30 . Hong Kong Taunts Italy With Pineapple Pizza After Olympics Fencing Win . 2024-08-02 . The New York Times . en-US . 0362-4331.
- Web site: 2024-07-30 . 'Pineapple belongs on pizza': Italy vs Hong Kong Instagram war after Cheung's win . 2024-08-02 . South China Morning Post . en.
- Web site: 2024-07-31 . Paris Olympics: Hong Kong hits back at Italy with pineapple pizza . 2024-08-02 . The Independent . en.