Fencing's golden boy eyes new targets

Olympic gold medalist Edgar Cheung Ka-long says he will miss his time in Tokyo, with its wonderful memories on and off the piste, as the men's foil fencing team set off yesterday for Shenzhen to prepare for the China National Games.

Despite the gold, Cheung said he will set aside his medal and prize money and strive for even more improvement in his fencing career.

In an exclusive interview with Sing Tao Daily, The Standard's sister paper, Cheung said he has never thought his trip to the Games would have such a good ending.

"On the piste, I won gold, and we fought as a team for our lives," he said. "Off the piste, it was a happy and satisfying journey with beautiful memories, which is a shot in the arm, pushing me to work harder in my career as an athlete."

The 24-year-old also said winning an Olympic gold medal will not stop him, as he will move on and keep improving. "The biggest goal now is the National Games, and I will not think about what to do with the prize money before it ends," he said.

Alongside his gold medal, Cheung will take home a total of HK$7.5 million in cash, including HK$5 million awarded by the government and HK$2.5 million from the Lam Tai Fai Charitable Foundation, which sponsors his alma mater - Lam Tai Fai College in Sha Tin.

Cheung's outfit in Sunday's fencing match caught some attention as he has written "Don't lose your way" on his shoes.

The 1.93-meter-tall fencer said it reminded him to never forget why he started fencing.

His teammate, Shawn Cheung Siu-lun, said he never thought fencing would create a territory-wide sensation in Hong Kong.

"It would be different if Edgar did not win," he said, thanking Edgar Cheung for putting fencing on the map.

The 36-year-old veteran hoped Hongkongers will continue with their support of local athletes after the Games.

Cheung's mentor, Wang Changyong, posted his gratitude on WeChat for making his gold medal dream come true. Wang, the former head coach for the men's foil team, said he had spoken with Cheung after his historic win.

"Do not let the gold medal confine you. You must keep on improving yourself," he told Cheung.

But not all was smooth for the fencing team. Team member Ryan Choi Chun-yin was forced to stay in Tokyo as he lost his vaccination record. Other members left for Shenzhen yesterday.

"It was hectic as we have so much luggage and we have to fill in the form for the health code," Choi said.

Choi has to wait for the vaccination record at the Olympic village before flying to the mainland and changing flight to Shenzhen.

The trio will compete in the National Games in Shaanxi on September 15, alongside Yeung Chi-ka, while the 21-year-old fencer Lawrence Ng Lok-wang will return to Hong Kong.

Coach Greg Koenig said the men's foil team aims to win a gold medal in the team event.

But Koenig will not be with his team during the event as he does not have a visa. Instead, he will go back to his home country France and return to Hong Kong on September 10.

Meanwhile, Chan Kwok-ki, team manager of the Hong Kong Olympics cycling team, and veteran cyclist Domino Chau Dor-ming, said time was needed for the cyclists to adapt to the Izu velodrome, 130km west of Tokyo.

"The biggest difference is the inclination of the velodrome. The greatest inclination in Hong Kong is 43 degrees but it is 45 degrees in Izu," Chan said.

Chau added that the two-degree difference would have an impact on cyclists who are good at overtaking on a bend, and affect Hong Kong athletes.

"Therefore Hong Kong cyclists have to adapt to the change as soon as possible, find their balance in the more-inclined track and show the world what they are capable of," Chau said.

But both Chan and Chau said Hong Kong cyclists may have an advantage adapting to temperatures in the velodrome. It was the same in Hong Kong and Izu, between 28 and 30 degrees Celsius.

The team will compete in the women's keirin event tomorrow, the same event in which top Hong Kong cyclist Sarah Lee Wai-sze won bronze in the 2012 London Olympics. Lee's rival, Emma Hinze from Germany, will also compete in the same event.