Hong Kong fencers prepare for Paris World Cup with questions hanging over form of Olympic gold medallist Cheung Ka-long
- Cheung has dropped to fifth in the world after a poor start to the season, but is defending champion in France
- Hong Kong has a large contingent in the French capital this week, with 11 men and 6 women set to compete
With less than three months until the start of qualifying for the 2024 Olympics, Hong Kong’s gold medal-winning fencer Cheung Ka-long will put his Paris World Cup title on the line on Friday, with questions surrounding his form.
The former world No 2 has dropped three places in the rankings after a slow start to a season where he has lost in the first round in Bonn and in the last 16 in Tokyo.
Cheung leads a large contingent from the city, with 11 men and six women in France to compete in the foil at the Stade Pierre-de-Coubertin.
And despite the 25-year-old’s less than impressive displays over the past few weeks, head coach Zheng Zhaokang said he was not worried.
“We have a few more ranking tournaments, so what we’re doing now is ensuring that all of our fencers are in peak condition by April [when qualifying begins],” Zheng said.
Cheung made men’s foil history a year ago when he won individual gold in Paris, beating Edoardo Luperi of Italy 15-12 in the final. Luperi is in the Italian squad again this week.
