Olympic gold medallist Cheung Ka-long defeated rising star Kenji Lau Chun-yin 15-11 to win the men’s foil title at the Hong Kong Open Fencing Championships on Sunday.
The two-time Olympic champion had earlier edged past teammate Leung Chin-yu 15-14 in a tight semi-final after beating world number one Ryan Choi 15-11 in the quarter-finals.
Cheung said he was happy with the win after recent inconsistent performances. “I’ve tried some new things and coaches have given me a lot of different advice,” he said, noting he still felt unstable but was improving. Reflecting on facing Choi, Leung and Lau, he joked, “I felt a bit old… I was tired.”
In the women’s épée, Kaylin Hsieh, who won bronze at the National Games, overcame teammate Moonie Chu Ka-mong 15-5 to claim the championship. Hsieh said she was not feeling well before the competition but did not use it as an excuse, instead seeing it as a test of her growth over the year.
“It was a final test of what I’ve learned this year, how to persevere even when unwell or juggling studies,” she said. “To start and end the year with a championship is very happy.” She hopes to make further breakthroughs in team events.
In women’s sabre, Sit Summer Fay defeated Lau Wing-yi 15-11 to take the title.
