Vivian Kong on Saturday won Hong Kong’s third ever Olympic gold medal, disappointing the home crowd as she beat France’s Auriane Mallo-Breton 13-12 in sudden death in the women’s epee final.
Kong wiped away tears after she clinched the title, having held her nerve when she trailed 7-1 in the second period and with a passionate home crowd, including French President Emmanuel Macron, urging Mallo-Breton on.
Her gold emulates that of fellow fencer Cheung Ka-long in the men’s foil in Tokyo three years ago and sailor Lee Lai-shan who won the women’s sailboard title at Atlanta in 1996.
Photo: Reuters
“I just thought it was so embarrassing to lose like this,” Kong said of fighting back from a six-point deficit.
“I was not using my brain. I still think I lost, even after so many interviews,” she added.
US first lady Jill Biden and Rolling Stones lead singer Mick Jagger, a day after celebrating his 81st birthday, were both in attendance earlier on Saturday.
The French president departed quickly to console Mallo-Breton, so he missed the men’s sabre title match that was won by South Korea’s Oh Sang-uk.
Mallo-Breton had given the home crowd goosebumps during her progress to the final, not least when she was 13-10 down with 36 seconds remaining in her last-32 match.
However, somehow she managed to defeat her crestfallen Ukrainian opponent Dzhoan Bezhura 14-13.
However, in the final, the Frenchwoman found being in front and the weight of expectation too much, while Kong was transformed after she had changed her epee.
“I was using the same epee through all my bouts, but Auriane was my first left-handed opponent so I decided to use a different epee. I was out of solutions,” Kong said.
Mallo-Breton held her lead until Kong leveled at 10-10 and then the contest became edgier.
With neither wanting to make a fatal error, they ran the clock down with them tied at 12-12.
Mallo-Breton realised the game was up as world No. 1 Kong got the decisive touch in sudden death, the Frenchwoman turning her back and holding her head in her hands.
“That is the game. I think it was too easy at one point and she hung in there,” Mallo-Breton said. “However, it is a medal and one must be happy with that.”
Mallo-Breton’s medal is the first for France in the women’s individual epee since the 2004 Games in Athens.
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