Olympics 2024: Hong Kong fencers in last-chance saloon as defending champion Cheung Ka-long risks going to Paris alone

Hong Kong’s fencers are running out of time to book places at this year’s Olympics, head coach Greg Koenig admitted after his foil team’s latest lowly World Cup finish cost them a chance to advance their cause.

A string of poor results at the event in Paris consigned the city to 15th place on Sunday, denying them qualifying points for the Games, also in the French capital.

They lost to Germany, Hungary and Great Britain between wins over Malaysia and Singapore, and must now rely on getting spectacular results at the final World Cup in Egypt next month.

If Hong Kong miss out on team qualification, defending individual champion Cheung Ka-long is likely to be the only men’s foilist donning the city’s flag at Grand Palais on July 29. The foil team made it to the 2021 Tokyo Games, where they finished seventh.

Cheung Ka-long (left) won individual gold in Tokyo but his Hong Kong teammates also qualified. Photo: SF&OC

“It was not a good day for us,” Koenig said. “We missed our chance to really get some good points for the qualification, but unfortunately our match against Germany was complicated.”

Having been beaten by the Germans in Tokyo’s quarter-finals, Hong Kong lost to them again, 45-41 in the last 16. They need to finish first or second in Cairo, or pray for external help.

The current rankings would qualify Japan, Italy, the United States and France for the Games. China are just behind the French, with Hong Kong sixth.

One more spot is up for grabs for the top Asia and Oceania team ranked outside top four, meaning Hong Kong must beat China to that place or hope China are already in the top four.

“Maybe we can hope that China make an amazing run and go into the top four,” Koenig said. “But that is not something I can control. I will focus with the guys to focus on being in the top two in the last competition.”

The team will stay in Europe ahead of next month’s Italian Grand Prix, after which they will prepare in Paris for their task in Cairo.

Reference

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