Hong Kong's 'First Gold' Vivian Kong Announces Retirement Amid 'Pro-China Paper' Controversy [Paris Olympics]

Fencing Women's ?p?e Gold Medalist Vivian Kong
Defended China's Suppression of Hong Kong Protests in Master's Thesis 3 Years Ago

Vivian Kong, the fencer who brought Hong Kong its first gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, suddenly announced her retirement. This came after it was revealed that she had written a thesis supporting China’s crackdown on Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement.

After winning the gold medal in the women’s individual ?p?e final on the 27th of last month, Kong posted on her social media, "I have decided to temporarily pause my professional fencing career after this Olympics," adding, "I look forward to starting a new career with a charity that helps children find joy and fun in sports."

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

On the 6th (local time), Hong Kong local media including the U.S. current affairs weekly Time explained the background of Kong’s sudden retirement announcement, reporting that her master’s thesis written three years ago began circulating online shortly after she won the gold medal.

According to Time, the thesis, submitted in 2021 to the Law School of Renmin University of China, described the 2014 Hong Kong pro-democracy protests known as the "Umbrella Movement" as "chaos and illegal acts," expressing support for the Chinese authorities’ crackdown and the enactment of the Hong Kong National Security Law.

Since the law’s implementation, most pro-democracy figures in Hong Kong have been arrested, prosecuted, or fled overseas, and only "pro-China patriots" are allowed to run in elections such as those for the Hong Kong Legislative Council.

After the thesis content became public, pro-democracy figures including former Legislative Council member Nathan Law voiced criticism. Law, who led the protests and later went into exile in the UK, said, "It was a big mistake to celebrate Kong’s victory," pointing out serious issues with her political stance. Time also reported that many Hong Kong fans turned their backs on her following the thesis disclosure.

Chinese media reported on Kong’s retirement but did not specifically address the controversy over her pro-China thesis. Time assessed the incident as "showing rising political tensions in Hong Kong, Asia’s financial hub."