Agatha Wong

{{family name hatnote|Wong (Chinese patronymic surname), and her middle name is Fernandez (Filipino matronymic surname)}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| image = Agatha Wong.jpg

| caption = Wong with her medals from the 2021 Southeast Asian Games

| nationality = Filipino

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1998|5|20}}

| birth_place = Quezon City, Philippines

| height = 1.68 m

| weight =

| country = {{PHI}}

| sport = Wushu

| event = Taijijian, Taijiquan

| nickname =

| coach =

| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Women's Wushu Taolu }}

{{MedalCountry | {{PHI}}}}

{{MedalCount|total=yes

|World Championships|0|2|0

|Asian Games|0|0|1

|Southeast Asian Games|5|2|0

}}

{{MedalGold| 2023 Cambodia | [[Wushu at the 2023 Southeast Asian Games|Taijijian +

Taijiquan]]}}

}}

Agatha Chrystenzen Fernandez Wong{{cite web |title=Agatha Chrystenzen F. Wong |date=29 April 2019 |url=http://www.dlsaa.com/honors-and-awards/awardees/agatha-chrystenzen-f-wong |publisher=De La Salle Alumni Association |accessdate=August 18, 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200817210758/http://www.dlsaa.com/honors-and-awards/awardees/agatha-chrystenzen-f-wong |archivedate=August 17, 2020}} (born May 20, 1998) is a Filipino wushu athlete who has won medals for the Philippines at the Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games, and the World Wushu Championships.

Early life and education

Agatha Chrystenzen Fernandez Wong was born on May 20, 1998, in Quezon City, Philippines,{{cite news |last1=Giongco |first1=Mark |title=Agatha Wong: 'My last name's Chinese yet I'm Filipina more than anything' |url=https://sports.inquirer.net/377832/agatha-wong-my-last-names-chinese-yet-im-filipina-more-than-anything |accessdate=17 August 2020 |newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=December 8, 2019}}{{Failed verification|date=January 2022}} tracing her roots to Dagupan, Pangasinan.{{cite news |title=Champion Agatha is Filipina, a Dagupeña |url=https://punch.dagupan.com/articles/news/2019/12/champion-agatha-is-filipina-a-dagupena/ |accessdate=August 18, 2020 |work=The Sunday Punch |date=December 17, 2019}} Her father, Christopher Wong Sr. is Filipino-Chinese, while her mother, Richa Agatha Wong (née Fernandez) is Filipino-American.{{cite news |last1=Alinea |first1=Eddie |title=Agatha Wong: The new 'Darling of PH Sports' |url=https://www.manilatimes.net/2019/12/15/sports/sports-top/agatha-wong-the-new-darling-of-ph-sports/664250/ |accessdate=August 17, 2020 |work=Manila Times |date=December 15, 2019}} Wong also has a younger brother and sister. At a young age, she was encouraged to try various sports including swimming, karate, and wushu.{{cite news |title=Agatha Wong: For the love of wushu |url=https://www.bworldonline.com/agatha-wong-for-the-love-of-wushu/ |accessdate=August 17, 2020 |work=BusinessWorld |date=September 10, 2018}}

Wong studied at the College of Holy Spirit in Quezon City{{cite news |title=Wong atones for shock Omengan setback, gives PH second wushu gold |url=https://www.spin.ph/karatedo/wong-atones-for-shock-omengan-setback-gives-ph-second-wushu-gold?ref=article_tag |accessdate=August 18, 2020 |work=Sports Interactive Network Philippines |date=August 9, 2013}} and the De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Consular and Diplomatic Affairs.{{cite news |title=Agatha Chrystenzen F. Wong

|accessdate=November 13, 2020 |url=http://www.dlsaa.com/honors-and-awards/awardees/agatha-chrystenzen-f-wong |website=De La Salle Alumni Association}}

By 2023, Wong would be studying in medical school balancing her schedule with being an athlete. She entered the University of the East.{{cite news |last1=Navarro |first1=June |title=Agatha Wong, balancing med school and training, surprises self with fifth SEA Games gold |url=https://sports.inquirer.net/509678/agatha-wong-balancing-med-school-and-training-surprises-self-with-fifth-sea-games-gold |access-date=13 May 2023 |newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=12 May 2023 |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Garcia |first1=John Mark |title='We're worth it': Palacios, Wong discuss plight of Pinay athletes |url=https://www.spin.ph/multisport/palacios-wong-on-the-filipina-athlete-a5172-20240814-lfrm |access-date=20 August 2024 |work=Sports Interactive Network Philippines |date=15 August 2024 |language=en}}

Career

Specializing in taolu,{{cite news |title=Agatha Wong hopeful another SEAG gold will boost wushu in PH |url=https://www.spin.ph/life/guide/agatha-wong-wushu-philippines-sea-games-gold-a2442-20191104 |accessdate=August 18, 2020 |work=Sports Interactive Network Philippines |date=August 18, 2020}} Wong has been a wushu athlete since she was 8 years old.{{cite news |last1=Go |first1=Beatrice |title=Long journey for wushu wonder Wong |url=https://rappler.com/sports/long-journey-for-wushu-wonder-agatha-wong |accessdate=August 17, 2020 |work=Rappler |date=August 20, 2018}}

She won her first medal in an international competition at the 2013 Asian Junior Wushu Championships in Makati, Philippines by besting the under-15 women's 32 form taijiquan of the Taolu competitions. She won two medals (gold in Taijijian and bronze in Taijiquan) in the following edition held in Inner Mongolia, China.

Wong won a bronze medal at the 2018 Asian Games held in Jakarta–Palembang despite the Wushu delegation experiencing financial issues which prevented her from training in China, as customarily done for high-profile competitions. She also sustained a grade 2 slipped disc injury prior to the games and has not yet fully recovered by the time she competed in the continental competition.

At the 2018 Asian Traditional Wushu Championships in Nanjing, China, Wong clinched two medals for the Philippines by besting the Group B women's Taijijian and Group B women's Taijiquan events{{cite news |last1=Dioquino |first1=Delfin |title=PH wushu team hauls 11 medals from Asian tilt |url=https://rappler.com/sports/philippine-wushu-team-wins-medals-asian-traditional-wushu-championships-2018 |accessdate=August 18, 2020 |work=Rappler |date=December 3, 2018}}

Wong also competed at the 2017 and 2019 Southeast Asian Games; clinching the gold medal for the taijiquan event and silver for taijijian at the 2017 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,{{cite news|title=2017 SEA Games: Agatha Wong captures gold for PH in wushu|url=https://cnnphilippines.com/sports/2017/08/22/2017-sea-games-agatha-wong-wushu-gold.html|accessdate=November 13, 2020|work=CNN Philippines|date=August 22, 2017|archive-date=November 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201113055237/https://cnnphilippines.com/sports/2017/08/22/2017-sea-games-agatha-wong-wushu-gold.html|url-status=dead}} and two gold medals for the taijiquan and taijijian events at the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines.{{cite news |last1=de los Reyes |first1=Sara |title=6 Quick Facts About Agatha Wong, Wushu Gold Medalist At The 2019 SEA Games |url=https://metro.style/people/society-personalities/agatha-wong-wushu-gold-medalist-2019-sea-games/21279#:~:text=gold%20and%20more!-,1.,Filipino%20participants%20competing%20in%20wushu. |accessdate=August 17, 2020 |work=Metro Style |date=December 3, 2020}}