7 Oct 2021 | ESLteachers
This year in Tokyo, Team Hong Kong played its best Olympics Games in history, snatching a total of six medals, including one gold, two silvers and three bronzes. As we celebrate the city’s long-awaited Olympic victories, let’s get to know more about some of Hong Kong’s top athletes!
Edgar Cheung Ka-long, Fencer
Edgar Cheung Ka-long is the first athlete representing Hong Kong in history to win an Olympic gold medal in fencing, and the second to become an Olympic champion. He has become a household name in 2021 after his glorious performance at the Tokyo Olympics.
Siobhan Haughey, Swimmer
Siobhan Haughey is a leading swimmer from Hong Kong with both Hong Kong and Irish heritage. She made history by securing two silvers at the Tokyo Games’ 100m and 200m freestyle. Despite the option to represent Ireland, Haughey chose to represent Hong Kong in the Olympics because it is where she was born and raised.
Sarah Li Wai-sze, Cyclist
Sarah Lee Wai-sze’s greatest success to date is winning the bronze medal in the women’s keirin at the 2012 London Olympics, Hong Kong’s third-ever Olympic medal and first in cycling. She won a second Olympic bronze medal in the women’s sprint at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which made her the first and only Hong Kong athlete to win medals in two different Olympic Games.
William So Wah-wai, Runner
William So Wa Wai is a retired Paralympian from Hong Kong dubbed as the ‘Wonder Boy’. He has competed in the Paralympic Games on five occasions, winning 12 medals, including 5 gold medals. So was born with jaundice which affected both his hearing and the balance of his limbs, and therefore competed in the T36 classification for athletes with cerebral palsy. He is the current world record holder in both the 100 and 200 m men’s T36 classification.
Lee Lai-shan, Windsurfer
Lee Lai-shan is a former Olympic gold medal-winning windsurfer from Hong Kong. She was the first-ever athlete to win an Olympic medal representing Hong Kong. Before Lee Lai-shan’s victory at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, Hong Kong had never been able to win any medals for as long as it had participated in the Olympic games since 1952. It was then Lee famously declared to the media: ‘Hong Kong athletes are not rubbish!’