Cheung Ka-long needs mental reset to win third Olympic fencing gold, coach says
Hongkonger urged to ‘rediscover the pleasure he had before’ as he returns to training after two months off
Hong Kong’s two-time Olympic champion fencer Cheung Ka-long has reached a pivotal moment and must reset mentally to move forward, his coach has said.
Greg Koenig, head coach of the city’s men’s and women’s foil teams, said Cheung must rediscover his love of the sport when he returns to training this week following a two-month break.
From there, he will seek National Games success next month, and can set his sights on becoming the first to win a third Olympic individual foil crown, in Los Angeles in 2028.
“What’s important for Ka-long right now is that we have to reset everything; we have to start from zero, psychologically,” Koenig said. “There was too much pressure, and he needed this mental rest.
“When he starts his next competition – I don’t know which one it will be – I want him to fight, and to shout maybe, on every point, like if he was a beginner. This is something he lost for the last period. He lost a bit of this fighting spirit to win every point.”
The Frenchman said fresh motivation was needed, rather than dwelling on an already glittering CV. Formerly top of the world rankings, Cheung has dropped to No 13.