First Ever Gold Tarnished by Pro-China Paper... Hong Kong Fencing Queen Announces Retirement

2024 Paris Olympics Hong Kong's First Gold Medal
Received Over 1 Billion Won in Prize Money but Faced Criticism

Vivian Kong (30), the "Fencing Queen" who won the first gold medal for the Hong Kong team at the 2024 Paris Olympics, has suddenly announced her retirement. This came after she faced intense criticism from Hong Kong citizens following the revelation of a pro-China thesis she had written in the past.

According to reports from foreign media including the U.S. weekly magazine Time on the 5th (local time), Kong won the gold medal in the women's individual ?p?e event at the Paris Olympics. This was the first gold medal for the Hong Kong team in this competition and the third Olympic gold medal in the team's history.

Immediately after Kong won the gold medal, the reaction from Hong Kong citizens was enthusiastic. The government awarded Kong a prize of over 1 billion won, and the Hong Kong railway company MTR also granted her a "lifetime free railway pass."

Vivian Kong, who won the first gold medal for the Hong Kong team in this Olympics [Photo by AFP Yonhap News]

However, the cheers from citizens quickly turned into disappointment. This happened when an online user revealed the contents of Kong's university graduation thesis.

In June 2021, Kong submitted a thesis during her master's program at the Law School of Renmin University of China. The thesis included criticism of the 2014 Hong Kong pro-democracy protests and a positive evaluation of the Hong Kong National Security Law enacted in 2020.

These thesis contents drew fierce criticism from pro-democracy supporters in Hong Kong. Nathan Law, a former Hong Kong Legislative Council member who led the pro-democracy protests in the past, also publicly raised his voice.

In an interview with Time, he said, "I congratulate Kong on winning the gold medal," but also pointed out, "(The thesis) is a big mistake. Kong's political stance is very problematic."

Meanwhile, on the 4th, Kong suddenly announced her retirement through her personal social media service (SNS). She stated, "I have started charity work promoting sports to children," and added, "I will continue to learn and grow to do my best to give back to Hong Kong." However, the statement did not mention anything about the controversial thesis.

Meanwhile, Kong is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in law at The Chinese University of Hong Kong.