Cheung Ka Long
{{Short description|Hong Kong professional fencer (born 1997)}}
{{Use Hong Kong English|date = August 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Family name hatnote|Cheung|Edgar Cheung|Cheung Ka Long|lang=Hong Kong}}
{{Infobox fencer
| name = Edgar Cheung Ka Long
張家朗
| image = Cheung Ka Long.jpg
| caption = Cheung in 2025
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1997|6|10}}
| birth_place = British Hong Kong
| weapon = Foil
| hand = Left-handed
| height = 193 cm
| weight = 68kg
| club = Hong Kong Sports Institute
| headcoach = Grégory Koenig
| fieranking = [https://fie.org/athletes/30878 current ranking]
| domesticranking = 2
| show-medals = no
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport|Men's foil}}
{{Medal|Country|{{HKG}}}}
{{MedalOlympic}}
{{MedalGold|2020 Tokyo|Individual}}
{{MedalGold|2024 Paris|Individual}}
{{MedalCompetition|World Championships}}
{{Medal|Bronze|2022 Cairo|Individual}}
{{MedalBronze|2023 Milan|Team}}
{{MedalCompetition | Asian Games}}
{{MedalGold | 2022 Hangzhou | Individual}}
{{MedalSilver | 2018 Jakarta | Team}}
{{MedalBronze | 2014 Incheon | Team}}
{{MedalBronze | 2018 Jakarta| Individual}}
{{MedalBronze | 2022 Hangzhou | Team}}
{{MedalCompetition | Asian Championships}}
{{MedalGold | 2016 Wuxi | Individual}}
{{MedalGold | 2022 Seoul | Individual}}
{{MedalSilver | 2017 Hong Kong | Individual}}
{{MedalSilver | 2018 Bangkok | Team}}
{{MedalSilver | 2019 Chiba | Individual}}
{{MedalBronze | 2014 Suwon | Team}}
{{MedalBronze | 2015 Singapore | Individual}}
{{MedalBronze | 2015 Singapore | Team}}
{{MedalBronze | 2016 Wuxi| Team}}
{{MedalBronze | 2017 Hong Kong| Team}}
{{MedalBronze | 2019 Chiba| Team}}
{{MedalBronze | 2022 Seoul| Team}}
{{MedalBronze | 2023 Wuxi | Team}}
{{MedalBronze|2024 Kuwait City| Team}}
{{MedalCompetition|Junior World Championships}}
{{MedalGold|2017 Plovdiv|Individual}}
}}
{{Chinese
| title = Cheung Ka-long
| t = 張家朗
| s = 张家朗
| p = zhāng jiā lǎng
| j = zoeng1 gaa1 long5
}}
Edgar Cheung Ka Long {{Post-nominals|country=HKG|SBS}} ({{zh|t=張家朗|j=zoeng1 gaa1 long5}}; born 10 June 1997) is a Hong Kong left-handed foil fencer, two-time Olympic champion and two-time individual Asian champion, having won the gold medal at the 2020{{Cite web|title=INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website|url=http://fie.org/athletes/30878|access-date=9 August 2021|website=FIE.org}} and 2024 Summer Olympics.{{Cite web |last=Jabkhiro |first=Juliette |date=30 July 2024 |title=Olympics: Fencing-A French fencing queen is crowned in gold at the Grand Palais |url=https://www.reuters.com/sports/olympics/fencing-cheung-wins-gold-mens-foil-paris-games-2024-07-29/ |website=Reuters}}
Cheung is the first athlete representing Hong Kong in history to win consecutive Olympic gold medals and the second to become an Olympic champion, after windsurfer Lee Lai Shan.{{Cite web|title=Cheung Ka Long wins historic gold medal for Hong Kong with a victory in men's individual foil {{!}} NBC Olympics|url=https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/cheung-ka-long-wins-historic-gold-medal-hong-kong-victory-mens-individual-foil|access-date=9 August 2021|website=www.nbcolympics.com|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=26 July 2021|title=Olympics-Fencing-Hong Kong's Cheung claims gold in men's foil|url=https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/fencing-champions-clash-quarterfinals-tokyo-2020-2021-07-26/|access-date=9 August 2021|work=Reuters}} He is also the fourth non-European and third Asian to do so, after Ramón Fonst, Kim Young-ho, and Lei Sheng.
Career
Cheung Ka-long was born to parents who both played national league basketball in Hong Kong. He took up fencing in the fourth grade. In 2013, he was named Hong Kong's Most Promising Young Athlete at the Hong Kong Sports Stars Awards. In 2014, he was named an Outstanding Junior Athlete by the Hong Kong Sports Institute;{{Cite news|title=Cheung Ka Long|url=https://fie.org/athletes/30878|access-date=26 July 2021|website=International Fencing Federation}} he won a bronze in team foil at the Asian Fencing Championships and at the Asian Games that same year. In 2015, he earned two bronzes, one in individual foil and another in team foil during the Asian Fencing Championships. In 2016, he won gold and a bronze in team in the Asian Fencing Championships. At the Olympics in foil, he defeated Heo Jun in the round of 32 before losing to Guilherme Toldo in the round of 16, finishing 14th overall.{{cite web|url=https://www.rio2016.com/en/athlete/ka-long-cheung |title=Ka Long Cheung |website=rio2016.com |accessdate=7 August 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160806064439/https://www.rio2016.com/en/athlete/ka-long-cheung |archivedate= 6 August 2016 }} In 2017, Cheung won gold in individual foil at the Junior World Championships.{{cite news |last1=Chan |first1=Kin-wa |title=Hong Kong's Cheung Ka-long claims gold at world junior fencing championships |work=South China Morning Post |date=8 April 2017 |page=4}} He then earned a silver medal in individual foil and a bronze in team foil in the Asian Fencing Championships. In 2018, he won a silver in team foil at the Asian Fencing Championships along with a bronze in individual foil and a silver in team foil at the Asian Games. In 2019, he earned a silver medal in the Turin Grand Prix, a bronze in the Anaheim Grand Prix as well as a silver in individual foil and a bronze in team foil at the Asian Fencing Championships.
In 2021 at the Tokyo Olympics, Cheung and Tse Ying Suet were the flag bearers for Hong Kong.{{cite news |title=Badminton's Tse and fencer Cheung to carry SAR flag |url=https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1599928-20210709.htm |publisher=RTHK |date=9 July 2021}} In foil, he defeated Julien Mertine in the round of 32, 2018 world champion Alessio Foconi in the round of 16, Kirill Borodachev in the quarterfinals and Alexander Choupenitch in the semifinals. In the final he faced the reigning Olympic champion Daniele Garozzo; after trailing 1–4 he fought back to win by a score of 15–11.{{Cite news|last=Siu|first=Phila|title=Hong Kong foil fencer Cheung Ka-long wins Olympic gold|url=https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/news/sports/article/3142579/tokyo-olympics-hong-kong-fencer-cheung-ka-long-makes-it|access-date=26 July 2021|website=Young Post, SCMP}}{{Cite news|date=26 July 2021|last=Ho|first=Kelly|title=BREAKING: Hong Kong men's foil fencer Edgar Cheung bags historic gold medal at Tokyo Olympics|url=https://hongkongfp.com/2021/07/26/breaking-hong-kong-mens-foil-fencer-edgar-cheung-bags-historic-gold-medal-at-tokyo-olympics/|access-date=26 July 2021|website=Hong Kong Free Press|language=en-GB}} This was Hong Kong's first Olympic gold medal in fencing and its second-ever gold.{{cite news |last1=Shum |first1=Michael |title=Unstoppable Cheung's stab at Games glory |url=https://paper.thestandard.com.hk/index.php?product=THESTANDARD&issue=20210727&vol=2021072700&page=23 |access-date=27 July 2021 |work=The Standard |date=27 July 2021 |archive-date=26 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210726175321/https://paper.thestandard.com.hk/index.php?product=THESTANDARD&issue=20210727&vol=2021072700&page=23 |url-status=dead }} For his achievements, he was awarded the Silver Bauhinia Star, the highest possible award for an actively competing athlete.
In the 2024 Paris Olympics, Cheung successfully defended his men's foil gold medal, defeating Italian Filippo Macchi 15–14 in the final bout.{{Cite web |date=30 July 2024 |title=MACCHI FILIPPO VS CHEUNG KA LONG RESULTS |url=https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/results/fencing/men-s-foil-individual/fnl-000100-- |website=Paris 2024}}
Cheung is the third man to retain an Olympic foil title, after Nedo Nadi and Christian d'Oriola.{{Cite web |date=2024-07-30 |title=Who is Cheung Ka-long? Stunning rise of Hong Kong's twice Olympic gold medallist |url=https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3272393/paris-olympics-who-cheung-ka-long-stunning-rise-hong-kongs-double-gold-medallist |access-date=2024-07-31 |website=South China Morning Post |language=en}}
Medal record
=Olympic Games=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!Year ! style="width:17em" |Location ! style="width:12em" |Event !Position |
| 2021
| rowspan="1" align="left" |{{flagicon|JPN}} Tokyo, Japan |Individual Men's Foil |
| 2024
| rowspan="1" align="left" |{{flagicon|FRA}} Paris, France |Individual Men's Foil | bgcolor="gold" |1st{{Cite web |title=INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION - The International Fencing Federation official website |url=http://fie.org/athletes/30878 |access-date=2024-07-29 |website=FIE.org}} |
=World Championship=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! style="width:17em" |Location ! style="width:12em" |Event !Position |
|---|
| 2022
| rowspan="1" align="left" |{{flagicon|EGY}} Cairo, Egypt |Individual Men's Foil | bgcolor="caramel" |3rd{{Cite web |title=INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website |url=http://fie.org/competitions/2022/244 |access-date=20 July 2022 |website=FIE.org}} |
| 2023
| rowspan="1" align="left" |{{flagicon|ITA}} Milan, Italy |Team Men's Foil | bgcolor="caramel" |3rd |
=Grand Prix=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Date
! style="width:17em" |Location ! style="width:12em" |Event !Position |
|---|
| 2019-02-08
| rowspan="1" align="left" |{{flagicon|ITA}} Turin, Italy |Individual Men's Foil | bgcolor="silver" |2nd{{Cite web|title=INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website|url=http://fie.org/competitions/2019/134|access-date=9 August 2021|website=FIE.org}} |
| 2019-03-15
| rowspan="1" align="left" |{{flagicon|USA}} Anaheim, California |Individual Men's Foil | bgcolor="caramel" |3rd{{Cite web|title=INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website|url=http://fie.org/competitions/2019/140|access-date=9 August 2021|website=FIE.org}} |
| 2023-03-19
| rowspan="1" align="left" |{{flagicon|KOR}} Busan, South Korea |Individual Men's Foil | bgcolor="silver" |2nd{{Cite web|title= Busan Foil Grand Prix Senior Men's Foil|url=https://www.fencingtimelive.com/events/results/1FDE6BFC67CB429681A2897758CCA845|access-date=9 August 2021|website=fencingtimelive}} |
| 2024-02-11
| rowspan="1" align="left" |{{flagicon|ITA}} Turin, Italy |Individual Men's Foil |
| 2024-05-19
| rowspan="1" align="left" |{{flagicon|CHN}} Shanghai, China |Individual Men's Foil | bgcolor="gold" |1st{{Cite web|title=2024 Shanghai Foil Grand Prix |url=https://www.fencingtimelive.com/events/results/9DD6D02E2C354C0DAF7F2327AE116CEF|access-date=19 May 2024|website=fencingtimelive}} |
=World Cup=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Date
! style="width:17em" |Location ! style="width:12em" |Event !Position |
|---|
| 2017-05-05
| rowspan="1" align="left" |{{flagicon|RUS}} St. Petersburg, Russia |Individual Men's Foil | bgcolor="caramel" |3rd{{Cite web|title=INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website|url=http://fie.org/competitions/2017/147|access-date=9 August 2021|website=FIE.org}} |
| 2017-10-20
| rowspan="1" align="left" |{{flagicon|EGY}} Cairo, Egypt |Individual Men's Foil | bgcolor="caramel" |3rd{{Cite web|title=INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION – The International Fencing Federation official website|url=http://fie.org/competitions/2018/135|access-date=9 August 2021|website=FIE.org}} |
| 2019-05-05
| rowspan="1" align="left" |{{flagicon|RUS}} St. Petersburg, Russia |Team Men's Foil | bgcolor="silver" |2nd{{Cite web|title=Historic Team Medal at Men's Foil World Cup|url=https://www.hksi.org.hk/sports-flash/historic-team-medal-at-mens-foil-world-cup/|access-date=19 April 2022|website=HKSI|language=en-GB}} |
| 2020-02-23
| rowspan="1" align="left" |{{flagicon|EGY}} Cairo, Egypt |Team Men's Foil | bgcolor="caramel" |3rd{{Cite web|title=【男子花劍世界盃．埃及直擊】張家朗6分鐘狂追27分 港隊絕殺法國奪銅|url=https://www.sportsroad.hk/archives/290389|access-date=19 April 2022|website=Sportsroad|date=23 February 2020 }} |
| 2022-01-15
| rowspan="1" align="left" |{{flagicon|FRA}} Paris, France |Individual Men's Foil | bgcolor="gold" |1st{{Cite web|title=HK's Cheung Ka-long wins fencing World Cup gold|url=https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1629084-20220116.htm|access-date=16 January 2022|website=RTHK|language=en-GB}} |
| 2023-01-12
| rowspan="1" align="left" |{{flagicon|FRA}} Paris, France |Individual Men's Foil | bgcolor="caramel" |3rd |
| 2023-05-06
| rowspan="1" align="left" |{{flagicon|MEX}} Acapulco, Mexico |Individual Men's Foil | bgcolor="silver" |2nd |
| 2023-11-10
| rowspan="1" align="left" |{{flagicon|TUR}} Istanbul, Turkey |Individual Men's Foil | bgcolor="silver" |2nd |
| 2023-12-10
| rowspan="1" align="left" |{{flagicon|JPN}} Tokoname, Japan |Team Men's Foil | bgcolor="caramel" |3rd |
| 2024-05-04
| rowspan="1" align="left" |{{flagicon|HKG}} Hong Kong |Team Men's Foil | bgcolor="gold" |1st |
=Asian Championship=
Impact
The term "Ka-long effect" was coined after his historic gold in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Fencing schools in Hong Kong witnessed a surge in calls from parents wanting their kids to take up lessons, as the sport received a huge boost in popularity.{{Cite web|date=27 July 2021|title=The 'Ka-long effect': Hongkongers rush for fencing lessons following historic Olympic win|url=https://hongkongfp.com/2021/07/27/the-ka-long-effect-hongkongers-rush-for-fencing-lessons-following-historic-olympic-win/|access-date=30 July 2021|website=Hong Kong Free Press|language=en-GB}} The phenomenon reoccurred in 2024 after his and Vivian Kong's fencing gold-medal wins at the 2024 Paris Olympics.{{Cite web |date=2024-07-30 |title=巴黎奧運．香港代表｜江旻憓張家朗奪金效應 劍擊學校查詢數字急增 |url=https://hk.news.yahoo.com/%E5%B7%B4%E9%BB%8E%E5%A5%A7%E9%81%8B-%E9%A6%99%E6%B8%AF%E4%BB%A3%E8%A1%A8-%E6%B1%9F%E6%97%BB%E6%86%93%E5%BC%B5%E5%AE%B6%E6%9C%97%E5%A5%AA%E9%87%91%E6%95%88%E6%87%89-%E5%8A%8D%E6%93%8A%E5%AD%B8%E6%A0%A1%E6%9F%A5%E8%A9%A2%E6%95%B8%E5%AD%97%E6%80%A5%E5%A2%9E-050041156.html |access-date=2024-08-01 |website=Yahoo News |language=zh-Hant-HK}}
Cheung's victory over Italian fencer Filippo Macchi in the 2024 Paris Olympic finals, sparked a conflict between Hong Kong and Italian netizens. Cheung's Instagram page was flooded with comments claiming Italy had been 'robbed'; in response, Hong Kong fans taunted the Italians by expressing their fondness of pineapple pizza and soy sauce spaghetti, in an effort to poke fun at the Italian disdain for pineapple as a pizza topping and to deride on Italian cuisine.{{Cite web |last1=Master|first1=Farah|last2=Pang|first2=Jessie|date=31 July 2024 |title=Fencing-Pineapple pizza insults fly over Italian-Hong Kong fencing final |website=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/sports/olympics/fencing-pineapple-pizza-insults-fly-over-italian-hong-kong-fencing-final-2024-07-30/ |access-date=31 July 2024}} As a playful response to the online exchange, Pizza Hut branches in Hong Kong and Macao announced free pineapple toppings on their pizzas from 6 pm on July 30 until July 31, joining in the lighthearted jabs at Italian netizens resentful of Cheung's Olympic win.{{Cite news |last=Yoon |first=John |date=2024-07-30 |title=Hong Kong Taunts Italy With Pineapple Pizza After Olympics Fencing Win |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/30/world/olympics/hong-kong-italy-fencing-pineapple-pizza.html |access-date=2024-08-02 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web |date=2024-07-30 |title='Pineapple belongs on pizza': Italy vs Hong Kong Instagram war after Cheung's win |url=https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/hong-kong/article/3272439/pineapple-belongs-pizza-italy-v-hong-kong-instagram-war-after-cheungs-gold-medal |access-date=2024-08-02 |website=South China Morning Post |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2024-07-31 |title=Paris Olympics: Hong Kong hits back at Italy with pineapple pizza |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/olympics-hong-kong-fencing-italy-b2588882.html |access-date=2024-08-02 |website=The Independent |language=en}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons}}
- {{Sports links}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions Fencing Men Individual Foil}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cheung, Ka Long}}
Category:Asian Games medalists in fencing
Category:Asian Games gold medalists for Hong Kong
Category:Asian Games silver medalists for Hong Kong
Category:Asian Games bronze medalists for Hong Kong
Category:Fencers at the 2014 Asian Games
Category:Fencers at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Category:Fencers at the 2018 Asian Games
Category:Fencers at the 2020 Summer Olympics
Category:Fencers at the 2022 Asian Games
Category:Medalists at the 2014 Asian Games
Category:Medalists at the 2018 Asian Games
Category:Medalists at the 2020 Summer Olympics
Category:Medalists at the 2022 Asian Games
Category:Olympic fencers for Hong Kong
Category:Olympic gold medalists for Hong Kong
Category:Olympic medalists in fencing
Category:Hong Kong male foil fencers
Category:World Fencing Championships medalists
Category:FISU World University Games gold medalists for Hong Kong
Category:Medalists at the 2021 Summer Universiade
Category:Summer World University Games medalists in fencing