Hong Kong fencer Nicholas Choi rolls back years at Paris World Cup event, reaches main draw in foil
- Four of city’s squad come through pool stages to reach round of 64 alongside top Cheung Ka-long and Ryan Choi
- Having won a silver medal at the 2018 Asian Games, Nicholas Choi retired, but her returned in 2021 and is targeting a spot at the event in Hangzhou
Hong Kong fencer Nicholas Choi rolled back the years in Paris on Friday, reaching the main round of the foil World Cup event.
The 2018 Asian Games individual silver medallist, who retired at the end of that year, returned to competition in 2021, with the aim of reaching the Asian Games.
In the first World Cup competition of the year, the 29-year-old Choi, who now ranks 77th in the world, came through the pool stage before scoring two more wins from the round of 256 to reach the main draw of 64.
“He is getting better after returning to the team in 2021 but is still far from best,” Zheng Kangzhao, the Hong Kong head coach, said. “He was once a top quality fencer, as we saw at the 2018 Asian Games, but right now he has reached no more than 80 per cent of his best. He still needs more hard work and competitions.”
Choi was one of four from the city’s squad to reach the main competition, with Lawrence Ng Lok-wang, Yeung Chi-ka and Lee Yat-long qualifying to compete alongside Olympic champion Cheung Ka-long and Ryan Choi Chun-yin.
Cheung, the defending champion and world No 5, and No 9 Ryan Choi were not required to qualify for the main draw as the top 16 players enter by virtue of their rankings.
The individual competition takes place on Saturday, with the team event the following day.