With the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics just around the corner, Hong Kong athletes are gearing up for another unforgettable games. Hong Kong made history at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, winning a record haul of one gold, two silvers, and three bronze medals. Building on this success, Hong Kong is sending 35 athletes to compete in 13 events in Paris, marking another exciting chapter in our city’s Olympic history. Here are key athletes to know competing in Paris 2024:
Edgar Cheung Ka-long
Cheung Ka-long, the first Hong Kong fencer and second Hong Kong athlete overall to win an Olympic gold medal, is set to defend his title in Paris. Born to basketball-playing parents, Cheung took up fencing in the fourth grade before quickly emerging as a young talent. His historic victory in the Men’s Foil Individual at Tokyo 2020 cemented his status as a Hong Kong sports legend. Cheung was a flag-bearer at the opening ceremony in Tokyo and will reprise this role again in Paris. All eyes will be on Cheung to see if he can repeat his champion performance again this year.
Siobhán Haughey
Haughey is the first Hong Kong swimmer to win an Olympic medal and the first Hong Kong athlete to win two Olympic medals in any sport. Born to an Irish father and a Hong Kong mother, Haughey has harboured an Olympic dream since she was a teenager. She was in the audience during London 2012, and vowed to herself that she would go to the next Olympics as a competitor instead of a spectator.
At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, she clinched two silver medals for women’s 100-metre freestyle and women’s 200-metre freestyle. This year, Haughey is set to compete in a staggering seven events: women’s 50-metre freestyle, women’s 100-metre freestyle, women’s 200-metre freestyle, women’s 400-metre freestyle, women’s 100-metre breaststroke, and both the 4×100-metre medley relay and freestyle relay, aiming to add more medals to her impressive collection. Alongside Cheung Ka-long, she will also have the honour of being a flag-bearer during the Olympics opening ceremony this year.
Lee Ho-ching
Audiences will remember Lee as part of the iconic table-tennis trio that won the bronze medal in the women’s team event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. After dropping out of secondary school to devote all her time to becoming a professional athlete, Lee has since participated in three editions of the Olympic Games. In Paris, the veteran will be back to compete in the women’s team event, hoping to secure another medal for Hong Kong.
Doo Hoi-kem
Doo, who also won a bronze medal in the women’s table tennis team event at Tokyo 2020, will be competing in multiple events in Paris. She will take part in the women’s singles and women’s team events, as well as the mixed doubles event. Doo’s versatility and skill set her apart as one of Hong Kong’s top table tennis players.
Tang Chun-man
After an impressive run at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Tang, alongside partner Tse Ying-suet, stopped just short of medals and finished fourth in mixed doubles badminton. The duo will be back this year hoping to claim a medal in Paris. Recently crowned mixed doubles champions in the German Open in March 2024, Tang and Tse’s impeccable synergy on the court make them strong contenders for a podium finish.
Tse Ying-suet
Like Tang, Tse made waves in Hong Kong after finishing fourth in mixed doubles badminton at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Having already participated in three Olympic Games, Paris 2024 may be Tse’s last, and she is hoping to end with a bang. As a seasoned Olympic veteran, Tse was one of the flag-bearers for the Hong Kong team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics opening ceremony, alongside Cheung Ka-long.
Stephanie Au Hoi-shun
Beloved swimmer Au , nicknamed “mermaid” by fans, is Hong Kong’s only four-time Olympian. She is famous for having competed in the Games since Beijing 2008 at the tender age of sixteen. She was selected as Hong Kong’s flag-bearer during the Rio 2016 opening ceremony. In Paris, she is set to compete in both the 4×100-metre medley relay and freestyle relay – her fifth Olympics swimming for the city.
Vivian Kong Man-wai
As Hong Kong’s leading female fencer, Kong is not a stranger to the Olympic games, having competed in both Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. At a young age, Kong dabbled a number of sports, including dancing and taekwondo (which she has a black belt in), before finding fencing at age 11. Fast forward to 2019, Kong became the first fencer from Hong Kong to be ranked first in the world. In Paris, Kong is set to participate in the Women’s épée event.
Shek Wai-hung
Shek, the current Asian Games champion on vault, marks his comeback to the Olympics after twelve years. The 33 year-old artistic gymnast’s return to the Olympic stage is highly anticipated, after failing to make it into the finals of the London 2012 Olympics. Shek is the first male gymnast to ever represent the city at the Olympics, and the only gymnast from Hong Kong who qualified for Paris 2024.
Wong Ka-lee
Wong will be the first Hong Kong judo athlete to compete in the Olympics in 12 years. Competing in the women’s under 48 kilograms class, Wong’s participation marks a significant milestone for Hong Kong judo. Wong admits feeling nervous about the upcoming Games but reveals that practicing sparring with her younger brother has kept her grounded.
Lo Wai-fung
Lo sets the record as the first taekwondo athlete from Hong Kong to take part in the Olympics. The 21-year-old will be competing in the men’s under 68 kilograms class in Paris. Alongside Lo, twenty other athletes from Hong Kong will be experiencing their first Olympics, a show of strength from a younger generation of athletes.
Editor
Sophia ZhangCredit
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