It is now official. The Hong Kong national fencing team will come to Melun in the summer of 2024, to prepare for the Paris Olympics. While perhaps waiting for South Korea near Fontainebleau, this is the first foreign delegation to formalize its visit to Seine-et-Marne for the Olympics. The news was announced Friday evening, in the preamble to the inaugural evening of the Stars of Foil, which took place at the Safran museum, in Réau. A competition that continues this Saturday and Sunday, at the tennis club of Melun, as well as at the weapons room.
In July 2024, the Asian team will therefore take advantage of the facilities of the Cercle d’escrime de Melun Val de Seine, at the Jacques-Marinelli complex, designated the Games Preparation Center (CPJ). “All the CPJs will not receive a team, but we will receive one, at the fencing club, which is a club of excellence”, proudly launched in front of 700 people Louis Vogel (Agir), mayor of Melun and President of the Melun Val de Seine conurbation.
Hosted at Residences du Château in Mée-sur-Seine
The Hong Kong fencers, who should be around ten depending on the number that will manage to qualify, including the reigning Olympic foil champion, Ka-Long Cheung, current world number 4, will be able to complete their preparation at the nearby Pacificlub, in particular thanks to in his weight room. They will also be accommodated not far away, at the Résidences du Château, in Mée-sur-Seine. Accommodation that the delegation on the move this weekend began to discover this Friday.
“At the Pacificlub, we can snack, spend a little time, organize meetings: everything suits us, recognizes Grégory Koenig, the (French) national coach of Hong Kong. As for the Résidences du Château, it’s very pleasant, quiet, with very decent rooms. We will be fine there. The objective will be to arrive in France ten days before the start of the Games to recover from jet lag, while training and having optimal recovery conditions. We will spend a week here, before heading to the Olympic Village, where we will stay during the events. »
Practices will be open to the public.
During their week of presence, training will be open to the public, but not that much. “Ka-Long Cheung is already in high demand in Hong Kong. He cannot walk around quietly, noted the coach, who wants to keep him in his bubble to retain his title. We’re going to open to young people from the city for about an hour and a half. We want to stay focused on the goal. »
If CE Melun Val de Seine hit the mark with Hong Kong, it owes it largely to Luc Montblanc, its vice-president. The latter took his phone and contacted Grégory Koenig, who knew Melun for having participated several times at the time in the Challenge Revenu, a foil competition that no longer exists. “We needed a nation that was the size of our reception capacities, because we only have 12 tracks. Hong Kong matched. The club is very happy to be the vector of this rapprochement between the Hong Kong federation and the Melun Val de Seine agglomeration. »
“Structurally, it is the perfect team if we want to put them in good conditions, rejoices in turn Céline Lieben, the president of the club. His track record is significant. It’s not the biggest team. It’s not the smallest either. We are very proud to welcome Hong Kong. »