Vivian Kong bids farewell to professional fencing after winning Olympic gold

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.