Fencing star Vivian Kong’s reign at the top ends as she slips to No 3
- The 25-year-old left-hander is beaten in the quarter-finals of the Cali Grand Prix by China’s Sun Yiwen
- Only four points separate the top three fencers in the standings with Kong on 172 points
Hong Kong fencing star Vivian Kong Man-wai’s reign at the top of the women’s rankings ended almost as quickly as her ascension after another ordinary result in the Cali Epee Grand Prix.
The 25-year-old left-handed epeeist was on top of the world in March when a series of outstanding displays saw her become the first Hong Kong fencer to be ranked No 1 in the world.
But her form slipped almost immediately after climbing to the summit, finishing a hugely disappointing 33rd in the Chengdu leg of the World Cup series a week after the euphoria of making history.
Last weekend, Kong slipped two places in the world rankings after reaching the quarter-finals of the Grand Prix series in Cali, Colombia. She lost to eventual champion Sun Yiwen, the bronze medallist at the 2016 Rio Olympics, going down 15-8 to the mainlander at the Pacific Valley Events Centre.
It was a disappointing performance considering Kong had led Sun 2-1 in head-to-head clashes and was ranked higher than her opponent. But still, it was a big improvement from her disastrous campaign in Chengdu.