Paris Olympics: coach Greg Koenig says fencers on track despite mediocre Asian meet results
- The men’s foil team barely extended their 18-year medal-winning streak at the event, but managed to identify the person to fill the No 3 spot
Head coach Greg Koenig said the performances of Hong Kong’s foilists at the recent Asian Fencing Championships in Kuwait were disappointing but that the team’s preparations for the Paris Olympics remain on track.
The Frenchman also said he had solved one of the men’s team’s long-standing issues by successfully identifying teenager Leung Chin-yu as their No 3 fencer.
Back-to-back losses in the men’s team event – to China in the semi-finals and then to Japan in the third-place bout on Thursday – meant that Hong Kong barely extended their medal streak at the continental championships as losing semi-finalists are guaranteed a bronze medal.
The city’s men’s team have won a spot on the podium every year since 2007, with their best result coming in Bangkok in 2018, when they finished behind only South Korea.
Hong Kong were leading China 41-35 in the final round in Kuwait City through reigning Olympic champion Cheung Ka-long, but Mo Ziwei then won several points on the trot to turn the match around at 44-43.
Despite world No 2 Cheung’s best efforts to draw level, Mo landed the winning blow to edge out Hong Kong in a nail-biting 45-44 win.
“We made a very good match against China and we missed the victory in the money time,” Koenig said. “We will come back stronger next year.”
Hong Kong’s 18-year medal streak in the mean’s team event may have only just survived in the Middle East but Koenig was adamant the team walked away with several positives.