Gold medalist Vivian Kong announces retirement as full-time fencer

Hong Kong fencer Vivian Kong Man-wai announced Sunday that she is stepping down as a full-time athlete and is excited about her new career direction to give back to Hong Kong.

Kong returned to Hong Kong on Thursday morning after she won the city's first gold medal of the Paris Olympics in the women's épée final on July 27.

However, she posted today on social media announcing her farewell to her career as a full-time fencer.

She expressed how grateful she was to be able to devote almost 20 years to fencing and sincerely thanked her family and friends for their encouragement and support along the way.

"After competing in my third Olympics, I have decided to take a break from professional fencing," she wrote. "I want to learn, grow, and give back to Hong Kong to the best of my abilities."

At the same time, Kong stated that she will accumulate experience and be ready to set up her charity fund so that children can regain the fun of sports.

"I will miss my fencing family so so much, but once a fencer, always a fencer!"

Many commented on Kong's social media posts to express their gratitude and support, including Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) lawmaker Edward Leung Hei.

However, Kong's Instagram post turned off the comment function.

Separately, a heated online discussion sparked recently after Kong's alma mater, Renmin University of China, revealed that Kong's thesis was related to the advantage of 'One Country, Two Systems,' which included criticism of 2014's Occupy Central.