Cover Siobhán Haughey is Hong Kong most decorated Olympian (Photo: Getty Images)
Siobhán Haughey is Hong Kong most decorated Olympian (Photo: Getty Images)
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As we celebrate the most influential individuals in the city, we look back at some of the most significant moments in Hong Kong’s Olympic and Paralympic history
1952
The first time athletes representing Hong Kong took part in the Olympics was at the 1952 Helsinki Games. Four athletes took part, all in swimming events. The city has participated in every Summer Olympics since then, except the 1980 Games in Moscow, as part of a boycott in protest against the USSR’s invasion of Afghanistan.
1972
The city made its Paralympic debut at the 1972 Games in Heidelberg and has taken part in every edition since then.
1984
The city won its first gold medals at the 1984 Paralympics when Hong Kong won the women’s 4 x 400-metre relay in what was then called categories 2-5; YL Mui took first place in the women’s 1,5000-metre, category 3; and Fung Yuet Wah topped the podium in the women’s individual foil in wheelchair fencing, categories 4-5. Hong Kong also won five silvers and nine bronzes.
Above Hong Kong’s first gold medallist Lee Lai-shan (Photo: Getty Images)
Above Cyclist Sarah Lee won bronze at the London Games, Hong Kong’s third- ever medal (Photo: Getty Images)
Hong Kong’s first gold medallist Lee Lai-shan (Photo: Getty Images)
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1996
Hong Kong won its first-ever Olympic medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. And not just any medal—Lee Lai-shan brought home the gold in windsurfing. Lee was born in Cheung Chau and started windsurfing at age 12, then joined the Hong Kong team at 19. She also won the Windsurfing World Championships three times, in 1993, 1997 and 2001.
2020
At the postponed Tokyo Olympics, the city took a second gold medal when fencer Edgar Cheung Ka-long won the men’s foil event. Swimmer Siobhán Haughey followed this victory with silver medals in both the 200-metre and 100-metre freestyle. The city also took three bronze medals: Doo Hoi Kem, Lee Ho Ching and Minnie Soo Wai Yam won one for women’s team table tennis; Grace Lau took third place in the women’s kata karate event; and Sarah Lee Wai-sze, who had won Hong Kong’s third-ever Olympic medal, a bronze, at the 2012 London Olympics, won bronze in the women’s sprint cycling race. In the Paralympics, Leung Yuk- wing, Vivian Lau Wai-yan and Wong Kwan-hang took silver in boccia, Chu Man-kai took another silver in badminton, and bronze medals were won by Wong Ting-ting, Leung Yuk-wing and Daniel Chan Ho-yuen in table tennis, boccia and badminton respectively.
Read Tatler Hong Kong’s nine December cover stories:
Hong Kong swimmer Chan Yui-lam reflects on the journey towards her Paralympic silver medal
Hong Kong Paralympic boccia gold medallist King Tse Tak-wah on rising to the top
First-time Paralympian Annie Cheung on facing imposter syndrome and discovering her true potential
Eyes on gold: Six-time Paralympian Leung Yuk-wing on the importance of pursuing your dreams
Breaking barriers: Boccia Paralympian John Loung on success, failure—and going for gold
Swimmer Jasmine Ng Cheuk Yan on how she became the youngest Hong Kong Paralympic medallist in Paris
Siobhán Haughey on life after the Olympics and making Hong Kong proud
