Hong Kong athletes continued their strong performance at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday — a gold for fencer Edgar Cheung Ka-long, who successfully defended his title, and a bronze for swimmer Siobhan Haughey.

Following fencer Vivian Kong Man-wai’s gold medal on Saturday, Hong Kong has now secured a total of three medals in the global sporting spectacle.

Cheung, 27, narrowly defeated Italian rival Filippo Macchi 15-14 in a nail-biting men’s foil individual final, becoming the first Hong Kong athlete to win gold in consecutive Olympics.

In a post-match interview, Cheung said that Hong Kong competitors have shown that despite the city’s small size, belief in oneself can lead to great accomplishments.

Swimming star Siobhan Haughey added to the city’s medal tally with a bronze in the women’s 200-meter freestyle. She finished third with a time of 1 minute 54.55 seconds, behind Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan and Ariarne Titmus.

With two silver medals from the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, Haughey is now Hong Kong’s most decorated Olympian, having won three medals.

Haughey expressed her delight at the support she received in Paris, highlighting the high level of competitiveness at the Olympics.

Government officials, including Chief Executive John Lee Ka-Chiu, congratulated Cheung and Haughey on their achievements, praising their skills and perseverance.

Lee said Cheung’s achievement underscores the strengths and capabilities of Hong Kong athletes, and he believes that the moment Cheung clinched victory with his final decisive strike, the entire city resonated with happiness and pride.

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Echoing the sentiment, Eric Wong, a 32-year-old architect, said that in a rapidly evolving and challenging era, Cheung’s indomitable sporting spirit has reminded Hong Kong residents that the city can rise in adversity and demonstrate an unyielding fighting spirit.

Arno Lee Yu-fan, a 20-year-old student, said he believes that Cheung’s success will inspire more Hong Kong young people to get involved in sports. He is confident that with dedication and determination, the younger generation can also achieve remarkable feats. He said he will continue to follow and support Hong Kong’s sports development.

Patrick Lau Wing-chung, professor of the Department of Exercise and Public Health at the Hong Kong Baptist University, emphasized the pivotal role of the government in mobilizing large corporations, institutions, and the food and retail sectors to promote the value and positive image of elite athletes.

Lau said there is a need for Hong Kong to cultivate local expertise in organizing sports events, suggesting increased investment in sports industry-related courses at universities to enhance professionalism and industry integration for the future.

Li Chi-leung, deputy chief executive of the Hong Kong Swimming Teachers’ Association, said that the number of people learning to swim has increased since Haughey won two silver medals at the Tokyo Olympics.

However, Li raised concerns about the shortage of swimming facilities and the high cost of swimming classes, advocating for more government and community support to make swimming more accessible.

Many shopping malls have been broadcasting events at the Paris Olympics, drawing crowds of spectators who gather in front of large screens to witness the thrilling competition unfold.

READ MORE: Kong clinches HK's first gold medal in Paris

Simon Wong Ka-wo, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades, said the business volume of the catering industry had increased by 20 percent recently and is expected to increase by 15 percent to 20 percent during the Olympics.

Wu Xinyu in Hong Kong contributed to this story.