Cheung Ka Long
Edgar Cheung 張家朗 | |
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Personal information | |
Born | Hong Kong | 10 June 1997
Height | 193 cm (6 ft 4 in) |
Sport | |
Country | ![]() |
Sport | Fencing |
Weapon | Foil |
Hand | Left-handed |
Club | Hong Kong Sports Institute |
Head coach | Grégory Koenig |
FIE ranking | 2 |
Medal record |
Cheung Ka-long | |||||||
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Traditional Chinese | 張家朗 | ||||||
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Edgar Cheung Ka Long (Chinese: 張家朗; Jyutping: zoeng1 gaa1 long5; born 10 June 1997) is a Hong Kong left-handed foil fencer, 2016 individual Asian champion, two-time Olympian, and 2021 individual Olympic champion.[1]
Cheung is the first athlete representing Hong Kong in history to win an Olympic gold medal in fencing and the second to become an Olympic champion.[2][3]
Career[]
Cheung Ka Long was born to parents who both played national league basketball in Hong Kong and China. 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;[4] 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.[5] In 2017, Cheung won gold in individual foil at the Junior World Championships.[6] 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.[7] 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.[8][9] This was Hong Kong's first Olympic gold medal in fencing and its second-ever gold.[10]
Medal Record[]
Olympic Games[]
Year | Location | Event | Position |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | ![]() |
Individual Men's Foil | 1st[11] |
Asian Championship[]
Year | Location | Event | Position |
---|---|---|---|
2015 | ![]() |
Individual Men's Foil | 3rd[12] |
2016 | ![]() |
Individual Men's Foil | 1st[13] |
2017 | ![]() |
Individual Men's Foil | 2nd[14] |
2017 | ![]() |
Team Men's Foil | 3rd[15] |
2018 | ![]() |
Team Men's Foil | 2nd[16] |
2019 | ![]() |
Individual Men's Foil | 2nd[17] |
2019 | ![]() |
Team Men's Foil | 3rd[18] |
Grand Prix[]
Year | Location | Event | Position |
---|---|---|---|
02/08/2019 | ![]() |
Individual Men's Foil | 2nd[19] |
03/15/2019 | ![]() |
Individual Men's Foil | 3rd[20] |
World Cup[]
Year | Location | Event | Position |
---|---|---|---|
05/05/2017 | ![]() |
Individual Men's Foil | 3rd[21] |
10/20/2017 | ![]() |
Individual Men's Foil | 3rd[22] |
01/15/2022 | ![]() |
Individual Men's Foil | 1st[23] |
Legacy[]
The term "Ka-long effect" was coined after his historic gold in the Tokyo Olympics. Fencing schools witnessed a surge in calls from parents wanting their kids to take up lessons, as the sport received a huge boost in popularity.[24]
References[]
- ^ "INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website". INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
- ^ "Cheung Ka Long wins historic gold medal for Hong Kong with a victory in men's individual foil | NBC Olympics". www.nbcolympics.com. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
- ^ "Olympics-Fencing-Hong Kong's Cheung claims gold in men's foil". Reuters. 26 July 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
- ^ "Cheung Ka Long". International Fencing Federation. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
- ^ "Ka Long Cheung". rio2016.com. Archived from the original on 6 August 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
- ^ Chan, Kin-wa (8 April 2017). "Hong Kong's Cheung Ka-long claims gold at world junior fencing championships". South China Morning Post. p. 4.
- ^ "Badminton's Tse and fencer Cheung to carry SAR flag". RTHK. 9 July 2021.
- ^ Siu, Phila. "Hong Kong foil fencer Cheung Ka-long wins Olympic gold". Young Post, SCMP. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
- ^ Ho, Kelly (26 July 2021). "BREAKING: Hong Kong men's foil fencer Edgar Cheung bags historic gold medal at Tokyo Olympics". Hong Kong Free Press. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
- ^ Shum, Michael (27 July 2021). "Unstoppable Cheung's stab at Games glory". The Standard. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ "INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website". INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
- ^ "INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website". INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
- ^ "INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website". INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
- ^ "INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website". INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
- ^ "INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website". INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
- ^ "INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website". INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
- ^ "INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website". INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
- ^ "INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website". INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
- ^ "INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website". INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
- ^ "INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website". INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
- ^ "INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website". INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
- ^ "INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website". INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
- ^ "HK's Cheung Ka-long wins fencing World Cup gold". RTHK. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
- ^ "The 'Ka-long effect': Hongkongers rush for fencing lessons following historic Olympic win". Hong Kong Free Press HKFP. 27 July 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
External links[]
- Cheung Ka-long at FIE
- Cheung Ka-long at Olympics.com
- Cheung Ka-long at Olympedia
- 1997 births
- Asian Games bronze medalists for Hong Kong
- Asian Games medalists in fencing
- Asian Games silver medalists for Hong Kong
- Fencers at the 2014 Asian Games
- Fencers at the 2016 Summer Olympics
- Fencers at the 2018 Asian Games
- Fencers at the 2020 Summer Olympics
- Living people
- Medalists at the 2014 Asian Games
- Medalists at the 2018 Asian Games
- Medalists at the 2020 Summer Olympics
- Olympic fencers of Hong Kong
- Olympic gold medalists for Hong Kong
- Olympic medalists in fencing
- Hong Kong male foil fencers
- Left-handed fencers