by Angie Leung (4F)

In 2021, Hong Kong had 1 gold medal, 2 sliver medals and 3 bronze medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games. How many Hong Kong Olympic athletes do you know? Who is your favourite? Let me introduce five of the most famous Hong Kong Olympic athletes.

1. Lee Lai Shan

Lee won the gold medal in windsurfing at 1996, also Hong Kong’s first Olympic medal! This is why she is so famous! She was born on 5-9-1970. She windsurfs because her uncle is good at windsurfing. When she was small, she started learning windsurfing. At first there were lots of people who laughed at her but they realised Lai Shan was winning. After winning the award, she excitedly said to reporters: Hong Kong athletes are not rubbish! Since then, this has become a famous quote.

2. Lee Wai Sze

Lee won two bronze medals in cycling in 2012 and 2021, also Hong Kong’s first and second bronze medals. She was born on 12-5-1987. She has suffered from anemia since she was a child, and after every high-intensity training or competition, it would take her than others to recover. However, she did not regard it as a hindrance. In 2006, she accidentally rolled over during a training session and fractured her wrist bone. Surgery failed three times. Her coach, Shen Jinkang, persuaded her to retire, but she refused and insisted on training during the recovery period, and went on to win a medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. This spirit - to never give up - has resulted in her being regarded as a role model by Hong Kongers.

3. Cheung Ka Long

Cheung won the second gold medal in foil fencing at 2021. He was born on 10-6-1997. He fell in love with this sport when he started learning foil fencing when he was 10 years old. He decided to drop out of school and become a full time athlete in Form 4. It was an amazing moment when he won the gold medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games. Almost all of Hong Kong supported him that day, either at home or in shopping malls. At the moment when he beat the world champion in Italy, everyone was excited and cheered. We are proud of him.

4. Siobhan Bernadette Haughey

Haughey won 2 sliver medals in freestyle swimming at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She was born on 31-10-1997. The 24 year old Olympic medalist came in at 1:50.31, breaking the world record at the Fina World Swimming Championships. Lots of people do not know that she has a sister, Aisling Bridget Haughey, who is a Hong Kong swimmer too! Her father is from Ireland and her mother is from Hong Kong. Since there is a swimming pool at home, Siobhan Haughey began getting acquainted with water in the pool when she was 6 months old. She started having swimming lessons when she was 4 years old.

5. Grace Lau

Lau won 1 bronze medal in karate in 2021. She started to practice karate formally at the age of 11. In addition to practicing boxing, she also practices "sparring". However, because of the chances of injury to the face, she does not want her mother worry, and she thinks boxing moves are more beautiful, so she changed to “Xing”(形). After the bronze medal match, she said, ”It is because in 2024 Summer Olympic there will not be any matches of karate, so I really hoped that I can win a medal and finally I did it!”

Failure is the mother of success. It is not easy to be a successful athlete in Hong Kong. I hope there will be more and more athletes who train up to enter the world records.

HK's 5 Most Famous Olympic Athletes