Hong Kong Olympic gold medallist Vivian Kong bids farewell to fencing as controversy of her political stance grows
Hong Kong Free Press
Hong Kong’ fencer Vivian Kong, who won a gold medal at the Paris Olympics, has announced she is retiring from professional fencing. Meanwhile, controversy surrounding the athlete’s political stance has grown as some Hongkongers accused her of criticising the city’s pro-democracy movements.
Kong said on social media on early Sunday morning that she had decided to take a break from professional fencing after competing in her third Olympics.
“I want to learn, grow, and give back to Hong Kong to the best of my abilities. I look forward to starting a new career and work towards having my own charity to help kids find joy and playfulness back into sports,” the 30-year-old fencer said, who is currently a law student.
When she arrived at the Hong Kong airport on Thursday, Kong told reporters she hoped to set up a charity or a social enterprise with the HK$6 million bonus that she is receiving from a Hong Kong Jockey Club grant meant to reward Olympic gold medallists.
“I am very grateful for the efforts of many seniors (in professional fencing). With dedication. They tried to achieve the best scores for Hong Kong even when resources were limited, and so that fencers of our generation could enjoy more resources,” Kong said in Cantonese at the airport, “I think it’s very fortunate to be athletes, especially fencers, in Hong Kong.”
Kong, nicknamed “Queen of Epee Fencing” and “Smiling Queen of Fencing,” has risen in popularity in Hong Kong since making history at Paris Olympics. The public celebrated her as a talented Hong Kong fencer who also excelled in her law studies.
After graduating from an international school in Hong Kong, she obtained a degree at the US’ Stanford University, where she majored in international policies. She later completed a master’s degree in law at the Renmin University of China. Since September 2021, she has been pursuing a Juris Doctor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
However, the city also saw increasing controversy surrounding the Olympian over the past week, with some questioning her involvement with the pro-establishment camp and her suspected remarks about the Umbrella Movement in 2014.
Alleged pro-establishment ties
Since Kong took the Olympic stage, local media outlets have dug into her past. In 2021, Kong was invited by a pro-establishment group of candidates competing as council members of the Law Society of Hong Kong to give a talk on the rule of law, media reported.
In 2022, Kong joined the Security Bureau’s Youth Uniformed Group Leaders Forum as a guest speaker, sharing how young people move forward despite challenges, according to a government press release.
Kong was elected as an executive member of pro-establishment group Y. Elites Association. According to the group’s website, the group comprises Hong Kong youth who have completed programmes hosted by the state-affiliated National Academy of Governance.
Prior to the opening of the Paris Olympics, security chief Chris Tang said in a video released by the Security Bureau that he would looked forward to seeing Kong win the most, as Kong was very supportive of the bureau’s work, local media outlets reported.
Umbrella Movement’s ‘tremendous harm’
Following Kong’s gold medal achievement at the Paris Olympics, Renmin University of China sent congratulations to Kong in a statement published on WeChat last Monday, introducing Kong as a graduate from the university in 2021.
“Her paper was on the study of the advantages of ‘One Country, Two Systems,’ and she hoped to contribute to the development of the HKSAR and the motherland,” Kong’s supervisor at the university said in the Chinese statement.
On Sunday, a paper submitted to the Renmin University of China was circulated on social media outlets. The paper, which appeared to be written by Kong and dated June 2021, was titled “Occupy Central and its Effects on Hong Kong Election’s Reforms.”
“Occupy Central claimed to fight for true universal suffrage via illegally occupying the roads, hindering social order,” the Chinese paper’s summary read. “The incident revealed the severe issue of polarization in Hong Kong and the tension between rule of law and democracy, and it has brought tremendous harm and far-reaching negative consequences.”
The paper argued that supporters of Occupy Central had neglected the role of Hong Kong’s Basic Law in China’s legal system, saying that Hong Kong society placed more importance on “Two Systems” than “One Country.”
The 2014 Umbrella Movement was a 79-day-long pro-democracy civil disobedience campaign originally conceived as “Occupy Central.” Thousands occupied roads around the legislature and in two other key districts following a student sit-in. Leading figures of the largely peaceful movement were jailed in the years following the police clearance.
Adrian Ho, a pro-establishment lawmaker of New People’s Party, said on Facebook on Sunday that some “yellow people,” referring to people in Hong Kong with a pro-democracy stance, used Kong’s paper to divide the society and attack her patriotism.
“I believe that all normal Hongkongers will stand up in this moment to protect Vivian, protect this real Chinese youth, the treasure of Hong Kong,” Ho said in Chinese.
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