Cheung Ka Long
A Hong Kong fencer who made history by winning his city's first Olympic gold in 25 years, then defended his title against all odds.
Born 1997 (age 29)·Hong Kong professional fencer·Birthday: June 10·Generation Z
Biography
Cheung Ka Long won back-to-back Olympic gold medals in men's foil fencing at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. The left-handed specialist from Hong Kong defeated the world number one in Tokyo to claim his city's first Olympic gold since 1996. With a fluid, attacking style, he carved through the bracket without the fanfare of European favorites. At Paris 2024, he displayed greater tactical maturity, navigating a brutal field to defend his title. His victories have inspired a new generation in Hong Kong to pick up the foil, transforming him from athlete to cultural symbol overnight.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Cheung was born in 1997, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Cheung Was Born
The biggest hits of 1997
#1 Movie
Titanic
Best Picture
Titanic
#1 TV Show
ER
Cheung's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1997Born
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2002Started school
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2010Became a teenager
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2013Could drive
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2015Could vote
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2018Turned 21
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 29 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the gold medal in men's individual foil at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Hong Kong's first gold in 25 years.
- Successfully defended his title, winning gold again in the same event at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
- Is a two-time individual Asian champion in men's foil.
Did You Know?
He is left-handed, which provides a tactical advantage in fencing against predominantly right-handed opponents.
His father, Cheung Siu Lun, was also a fencer and served as his first coach.
He studied at Hong Kong's Diocesan Boys' School, which has a strong fencing tradition.
“I want to show that Hong Kong fencers can compete with the world's best.”
