View this post on InstagramA post shared by Nicholas Edward Choi 崔浩然 최호연 (@nicholas_edward) on Dec 5, 2018 at 2:00am PST
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Hong Kong fencer Nicholas Choi retires: Olympian reveals on social media he is calling it quits at 25
- Foilist posts on Instagram that he’s leaving the sport after winning two silver medals at the Jakarta Asian Games
- Represented Hong Kong at the 2012 London Olympics and was considered one of the most successful local athletes
Hong Kong fencer Nicholas Choi is calling it quits. Photo: Instagram
Top Hong Kong fencer and Jakarta Asian Games silver medallist Nicholas Choi has announced his retirement from the sport at the age of just 25.
Choi made the announcement on social media, saying it was an “absolute honour to have represented Hong Kong in countless competitions” without giving a reason for walking away from the sport.
After taking up fencing when he was just 10 years-old, Choi became one of Hong Kong’s most successful fencers, winning two silver medals at the Jakarta Games in individual and team foil and representing Hong Kong at the highest level for more than seven years.
“With great enthusiasm and gratefulness, I would like to formally announce my retirement as a professional fencing athlete,” he said on his Instagram account.
“The past 15 years have been an incredible journey – from my first grip of the sword in my after-school class, to qualifying for the London Olympics [2012] and to winning my first-ever silver medal for both individual [and] team events at the Asian Games in August,” he wrote.
Choi started competing full-time in 2011 and said in his post that he thought of retiring last year after competing at the world championships in Leipzig, Germany. He also said he had no immediate plans for the future.
Nicholas Choi (right) is vanquished as China’s Chen Haiwei celebrates winning gold at the Chinese National Games in Tianjin last year. Photo: Xinhua
“No journey is without hiccups and bumps. Despite countless rumours regarding my retirement date and intention, it was after the world championships in 2017 that I first thought about retiring from the sport, but I wasn’t ready to give up just yet.
“I had my eyes set on the Jakarta Games medals. So for the past year, I trained extra hard, knowing that this would be my last battle before I make my exit from fencing.
Nicholas Choi and Chen Haiwei embrace after their foil final at the China National Games. Photo: Xinhua
“I must give my heartfelt thanks to my coaches, my teammates, my family, my best friends and all those who have shown their support to me on this journey. Without any of you, I would not be able to make it so far,” he said.
Choi won multiple medals on the world stage and alongside Edgar Cheung Ka-long and female epeeist, Vivian Kong Man-wai, was among Hong Kong’s most successful fencers in Jakarta. Choi also represented Hong Kong at the London Olympics in 2012 and was ranked as high as 20 in men’s foil in the world.
(From left to right) Edgar Cheung, Nicholas Choi, and Vivian Kong show off their Asian Games medals in Jakarta. Photo: HKOC
Choi also came extremely close to winning an Asian Games individual gold, leading 10-8 against China’s 20-year-old Huang Mengkai with less than a minute to go in the final before his opponent called for time injury. Choi then had a disastrous final minute upon resumption and eventually lost gold. He also was forced to miss the gold medal play-off match in the Jakarta foil team competition because of an ankle injury.
However, the two silvers represented a new high watermark in his career.
“It is now time for me to venture elsewhere and create a new chapter in my life [even though] there is no absolute plan about my future for now.”