Fencing: Cheung Ka-long finds form at last with runner-up finish at Grand Prix in Busan
- Hong Kong’s Cheung loses to Italy’s Alessio Foconi in his first Grand Prix final in four years
- His best placing of the season comes with the qualification period for the 2024 Paris Olympics set to begin next month
Hong Kong fencer Cheung Ka-long shrugged off his recent dip in form to manage his best result of the year so far with second place at the Grand Prix in Busan, South Korea.
In his first final of the season, 25-year-old Cheung found himself on the back foot against veteran Alessio Foconi, the world No 4 from Italy. It proved a tougher assignment for the Hongkonger than in his most recent three bouts with Foconi, which he had won easily.
He tied the bout at 13 apiece but lost the next two points as his opponent took victory to edge 4-3 ahead in their career head-to-head.
Cheung had received a bye in the round of 64 and soon found himself in the last eight after seeing off Giulio Lombardi of Italy and Kim Gyeongmu of South Korea.
Reigning Olympic champion Cheung then faced Takahiro Shikine of Japan, who had knocked out Hong Kong’s world No 14 Ryan Choi Chun-yin 15-7 in the round of 32.