8 Cool Facts About Vivian Kong, Hong Kong’s Gold Medal Winner At The 2024 Paris Olympics

The Paris Olympics 2024 started with a winning roar for Hong Kong, as Vivian Kong struck gold in Women’s Fencing. The Hong Kong épéeist clinched the first-ever women’s individual gold medal for the Hong Kong team. Her landmark victory against French favourite Auriane Mallo-Breton was truly a delight to witness. Kong proved she’s number one for a reason, the undefeated ‘Queen of fencing’ who has made every Hongkonger shed tears of joy. To acquaint you with the arduous yet rewarding journey of Vivian Kong, let’s take you through some interesting facts about her.

Three-time individual Asian champion, Olympic gold medallist, ballet and taekwondo expert, and an academically excellent law student – Vivian Kong is a trailblazer. Despite having torn her ACL twice, the veteran fencer has been in amazing form leading up to the Paris Olympics. Always championing the ‘Hong Kong spirit’ in all her endeavours, Vivian Kong is a force to be reckoned with.

Facts about Vivian Kong, Hong Kong’s Olympic gold medallist

1. Vivian Kong took up fencing at the age of 11

The Olympic star was always fascinated with extracurricular credentials, including ballet and taekwondo. Her journey with fencing started at the age of 11. She chose épée, mentioning that it ‘combined the speed of taekwondo’ to the ‘grace of ballet’. As an only child, Kong was nudged by her parents towards many activities like ballet, ice skating, and drawing to playing ’guzheng’, but fencing is where she found her true calling. And well, the rest is history.

2. She’s the first female athlete to win a World Cup title in Hong Kong

Kong’s creating history, one World Cup win at a time. The fencer won her first-ever World Cup victory at the FIE Women’s Épée World Cup in Havana in 2019 and was subsequently named the Female Athlete of the Year. Not only this, Kong even dedicated her win to the people of Hong Kong.

In the following years, she became the world’s number one fencer for the third time in May 2023, shortly before winning her third Asian Championship title in Wuxi. Vivian Kong has further picked up multiple Grand Prix, World Cup and World Championship titles across the globe.

3.  She’s only the third Hongkonger to win Olympic gold

With her recent feat at the 2024 Olympics, Vivian Kong became the third Hongkonger to have the Olympic gold medal resting around her neck. The Hong Kong battalion won its first Olympic gold at the 1996 Atlanta Games, thanks to windsurfer Lee Lai-shan. It was followed by fencer Cheung Ka-long’s historic win at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Meanwhile, the 2024 Paris Olympics are proving to be a golden year for Hong Kong, which has already clinched three medals (as of the date of writing), including two golds and one bronze.

4. A Stanford University graduate, Vivian Kong aspires to work for the UN

An academic genius, Kong completed her graduation from Stanford University, specialising in International Relations. She then went on to pursue her Master of Law degree at the Renmin University of China. As of 2024, Vivian Kong is studying for a Juris Doctor degree at the Faculty of Law at The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

She ultimately aspires to work with the United Nations, especially given all her efforts towards humanitarian issues, as well as campaigns for charitable events and social causes.

5. The fencer declined an opportunity to represent Canada

For those unversed, Vivian Kong lived in Canada between the ages of two and six. While she eventually returned to Hong Kong for good, that didn’t stop the Canadian government from pursuing the gem. The Canadian government invited her to naturalise and represent them. However, Kong declined saying that she wished to only represent her birthplace. And Hong Kong’s eternally grateful for that.

6. She turned completely vegetarian after tearing her ACL in 2017

Vivian Kong tore her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in 2017, right before the World Championship. This is when the fencer decided to turn completely vegetarian for a speedier recovery, eliminating all meats from her diet. She soon resumed her training after her ACL surgery, returning to action in November that year.

Talking about her switch to vegetarianism, Kong said in an interview (via Dimsumsdaily), “Though we live in different environments—I on land and marine creatures in the sea—I do not wish to consume them.” This philosophy also explains Kong’s engagement with various environmental initiatives like beach clean-ups and conservation projects.

7. Vivian Kong keenly follows Buddhist teachings

Kong’s dietary habits are closely linked to her interest in Buddhism. The spiritual teachings and philosophies have helped her navigate stress and maintain mental balance amid the turmoil of the competitive sport. Kong studies Buddhist philosophy and practices yoga, which she describes as a ‘moving form of meditation’.

8. She actively works towards social issues and supports various charities

Vivian’s influence echoes beyond her athletic achievements. She actively participates in philanthropy work, engaging in various public campaigns to raise awareness about social issues and supporting numerous charities. For instance, during the COVID-19 pandemic, she catered to families in need by providing essential supplies to single-parent families and children with special educational needs.

Vivian Kong is indeed a true champion, both on and off the field. 

Which of these facts about Vivian Kong did you find most fascinating?

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(Feature image credit: Olympics/ Instagram)

This article first appeared on Lifestyle Asia Hong Kong