Published : 2024-07-29
Ouvrons Grand les Jeux, Games wide open！
The highly anticipated Paris Olympics is held from July 26 to August 11.
The "Our China Story" website has specially launched a Paris Olympics special series, capturing every splendid moment and sharing interesting stories of it.
This article introduces you to Olympic women's épée gold medallist Vivian Kong Man Wai (江旻憓).
Vivian Kong fell for fencing because she likes fighting?
As the only child in her family, Vivian Kong emigrated to Canada with her parents when she was two years old and returned to Hong Kong when she was six.
The first sport Vivian Kong was exposed to as a child was ballet, because her mother thought girls should be gentle and elegant and hoped that Kong could grow up to be a dancer.
But for Vivian herself, who likes "fighting sports", she didn't think it was suitable for her. And instead she turned her attention to the Taekwondo class next door to the dance studio.
Kong first encountered fencing at the age of 11 and fell in love with it ever since. She felt that fencing had the speed of Taekwondo and the elegance of ballet, describing it as "ballet in combat sports".
From then on, the little girl decided to devote her life to fencing, because "fencing completes my life".
In fencing, Vivian Kong has excellent talent and potential. She has 179cm tall with long arms and legs, and is left-handed by nature.
Therefore, she stood out in just two or three years. At the age of 13, she won the U17 champion at the national junior championship; and one year later, she won gold again at the Asian Junior and Cadet Fencing Championships.
Vivian Kong: A super outstanding student as well
The 30-year-old épéeist can be described as "all rounder". She studied in an international school during her middle school years and achieved an excellent score of 41 out of a full mark of 45 in the International Baccalaureate (IB) test.
Vivian Kong then went to the prestigious Stanford University in the U.S. to pursue a Bachelor's Degree in International Relations, with a minor in Psychology.
Kong, who considers both fencing and studying as hobbies, later completed her Master's Degree in Law at Renmin University of China.
In 2021, she was eliminated in the quarterfinals at the Tokyo Olympics, but she did not give up and continued to press on. She is now studying for a Doctorate in Law at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Vivian Kong has expressed her hope to become a lawyer after graduation or to join the United Nations to contribute to world peace.
Vivian Kong named "Lin Chi-ling of the fencing world"
In addition to her sport performance, Vivian Kong's appearance is often a point of discussion among netizens.
Some commented that Kong, who inherited her mother's good genes, looks quite similar to Taiwan's top model Lin Chi-ling, hence the title "Lin Chi-ling of the fencing world."
On one hand, Vivian Kong's tall figure is comparable to that of a model; on the other hand, just like Lin Chi-ling, Kong has a sweet smile, which is where the nickname "Smiling Fencing Queen" comes from.
However, in fact, Vivian Kong lives quite a simple life. Everything she shares about her daily life on social media is actually written by her mother.
Vivian Kong admits that she doesn't enjoy facing the camera because of embarrassment, and she rarely watches her own interview clips and photos.
Vivian Kong has overcome two serious knee injuries
As Vivian Kong made it to world No.1 and Olympic champion, everyone saw her thrilling victory and glory, but not many people paid attention to the hardships she had to go through behind the scenes.
Having competed in the Rio Olympics in 2016, Tokyo Olympics in 2020, and Paris Olympics in 2024, Kong actually suffered serious injuries twice in 2017 and 2019, with both anterior cruciate ligaments in her left and right knees injured.
In the previous Asian Fencing Championships, Vivian Kong also had to withdraw from the competition due to injury, missing out on a three-peat.
In the face of injuries, Kong was optimistic, "Overcoming injuries is my strength, and both good and bad are actually gifts."
She also revealed that she relied on her faith to get out of the low point. She found the answers to her life's challenges in Buddhism, and used it to adjust her attitude towards winning and losing.
Who is Vivian Kong's true love?
Many people are curious about Vivian Kong's love life, but she has always been very low-key in this aspect. Her only rumoured boyfriend is Cheung Ka Long, who is her teammate from the Hong Kong fencing team and known as "Young Fencing God."
The news started during the Tokyo Olympics when the men's foil team members were live-streaming interactions with fans from the quarantine hotel.
When Cheung mentioned Vivian Kong, he suddenly became shy and refused some netizens' suggestions to invite her to join the live-stream.
But later, Cheung Ka Long clarified that he did not have feelings for Vivian Kong, and his behaviour was purely due to his embarrassing character.
When it comes to preferences for partner, the 179cms tall girl does not mind if her partner is shorter than her.
Vivian Kong once stated that it's hard for a full-time athlete to find a boyfriend, and what she hopes for most in her partner is kindness, a sense of humour, and love for sports.
If Kong were to mention her "true love" at this stage, it might be Korean star Kim Soo Hyun. During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vivian Kong had no competitions outside and had more time to spend in Hong Kong, so she fell in love with watching Korean dramas.
She once performed the theme song of "Crash Landing On You" on social media, and her favourite dramas are "My Love from the Stars" and "It's Okay To Not Be Okay," both starring Kim Soo Hyun.
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