Vivian Kong bids farewell to professional fencing after winning Olympic gold

HONG KONG -- Paris 2024 gold medalist fencer Vivian Kong Man Wai of Hong Kong, China announced her retirement from professional fencing, bidding farewell to her career as a full-time athlete.

"I'm so grateful to have had the chance to dedicate almost 20 years of my life to fencing and thank you for being a part of this journey," she wrote in a social media post.

The 30-year-old made history at the Paris Olympics Games, clinching a gold medal in the individual epee event for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region after a hard-won victory.

"After competing in my third Olympics, I have decided to take a break from professional fencing. I want to learn, grow, and give back to Hong Kong to the best of my abilities," Vivian said.

Kong said she's going to start a new career and launch her own charity to help kids find joy in sports.

"I will miss my fencing family so so much, but once a fencer, always a fencer," she wrote.