On Sunday, the Olympian laurel crown was gently placed upon a new champion’s head.
The glistening halls of the historic Grand Palais were abuzz with energy, as the mostly French crowd eagerly anticipated the climatic moment of the women’s épée individual finals as the two fencers walked down the venue’s iconic meandering steps.
Hong Kong’s Vivian Kong Man-wai and her French counterpart Auriane Mallo-Breton stepped onto the piste, both poised to etch their names in Olympic history. With Mallo-Breton leading 1-7 early in the second round, many would have considered the match over. But Kong refused to give up in her third appearance in an Olympic Games after Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. She quickly adjusted and clawed her way back until the score was tied at 10-10.
In the dying moments of the match, the tension was highly palpable, with each fencer desperate to land the decisive hit. At 12-12, in a stunning display of skill and composure, Kong landed the final touch with a fruitful lunge — clinching the gold medal with a final score of 13-12.
Tears of joy streamed down her face as she rushed to embrace her Romanian coach Octavian Zidaru, who was incessantly flinging his arms in the air as the two shared an emotional moment of triumph.
After the match, Kong said that she didn’t want to lose badly nor give up without drawing upon the Hong Kong spirit (香港精神).
This never-say-die attitude has meant the fencing star secured Hong Kong’s third Olympic gold medal ever, following in the footsteps of local legends like windsurfer Lee Lai-shan and fencer Edgar Cheung Ka-long (who on Monday secured his second Olympic triumph and Hong Kong’s fourth ever Olympic gold by beating Italy’s Filippo Macchi).
Yet, rooted deep beneath her glimmering smile is a story of a champion’s mindset, triumphing through years of adversity and relentless drive to “overcome herself” (赢自己).
Two main ingredients were vital to her recent victories: having switched from a pescetarian to a vegan diet to aid physical recovery especially in light of her serious anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in 2017 and 2019, as well as practicing meditation and Buddhist sutra calligraphy for mental clarity and inner peace.
Drawing on Buddhist teachings, she also understands that there is impermanence in the world and through it can there be hope — which has helped her immensely to face ups and downs in competitions. “To overcome injuries is my strength, I’m not worried,” Kong once declared.
As the Games continue to unfold, Hong Kong and China’s athletes continue to make their mark on the world stage. With Hong Kong’s two golds from its fencing stars, and China’s five golds so far from sports such as air rifle and diving, there are many reasons to celebrate.
Like Kong, here at RADII we have big smiles painted on our faces as we celebrate the triumphs of all these amazing athletes.
Banner image via Olympics.
