Vivian Kong Man Wai

Vivian Kong Man Wai, born on February 8, 1994, in British Hong Kong, began her fencing career at the age of 11. Her early life included ballet and taekwondo, with fencing becoming a synthesis of these disciplines, combining the speed of taekwondo with the grace of ballet. Kong, a left-handed épée fencer, showed early promise, which led her to pursue the sport professionally. She later studied International Relations at Stanford University and is currently pursuing a Juris Doctor degree at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, with aspirations to work for the United Nations.

Kong’s career trajectory includes participation in multiple Olympic Games, beginning with the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. A significant milestone occurred in January 2019 when she became the first Hong Kong fencer to win a World Cup title at the FIE Women’s Épée World Cup in Havana, Cuba. Her consistent performance at global events led to further recognition, including a bronze medal in the Women’s épée at the 2022 World Fencing Championships in Cairo, Egypt. She was named the 2019 Female Athlete of the Year by the Hong Kong Sports Press Association and served as flag bearer for Hong Kong, China, at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Asian Games.

The pinnacle of her career arrived at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, where Kong secured Hong Kong’s third-ever Olympic gold medal in the women’s individual épée event. She overcame a 1-7 deficit in the finals against Auriane Mallo to win 13-12. Following this historic achievement, Kong announced her retirement from professional fencing on August 4, 2024, to pursue new career paths. On August 6, it was announced that she would join the Hong Kong Jockey Club to promote sports development.