The thrill and excitement felt in the city over its elite athletes’ historic achievements at the 2024 Paris Olympics have made this summer exceptionally memorable.

The athletes are the best “brand ambassadors” for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. They have been telling Hong Kong stories well with their impressive performances on the global stage since the establishment of the SAR.

The Olympic delegation won a total of four medals this summer — two golds in fencing and two bronzes in swimming — a brilliant result for a tiny place with a population of just 7.5 million.

However, what matters most is not the number of Olympic medals the local athletes were able to win, but the perseverance and indomitable spirit they demonstrated to the world, including those who did not win any medals. These core values are part of the Hong Kong spirit (also known as the “Lion Rock spirit”) that has been passed down through generations. Its essence includes a can-do attitude, dexterity, resilience and solidarity — qualities that have enabled the city to overcome numerous insurmountable difficulties in the past.

The two gold medalists in fencing — Edgar Cheung Ka-long and Vivian Kong Man-wai — as well as “flying fish” Siobhan Haughey, who landed two bronzes in the women’s 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle swimming events, exemplified the Hong Kong spirit perfectly.

The trio has made Hong Kong sports history. Cheung became the first Hong Kong athlete to have won two Olympic gold medals, having gained his first at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. He also defended his individual title in Paris, becoming the third man in foil fencing’s 128-year history to win two gold medals in successive Olympics. Kong became the first female fencer in Hong Kong history to win an Olympic gold medal. Haughey has now won four Olympic medals, the most of any Hong Kong Olympian, having also won two silver medals at the Tokyo Summer Olympics in 2021.

The sword king and queen, in particular, demonstrated powerful come-from-behind abilities as they often found themselves close to losing on their gold medal journeys. Their fighting spirit allowed them to regain their composure at decisive moments, and to make strong comebacks with stunning hits to eliminate opponents one by one and eventually clinch the titles.

As a city, Hong Kong also faces difficulties not unlike those the elite athletes had to face in their competition. The athletes had to deal with the fatigue and pressure that comes from taking part in multiple qualifiers, and with the deafening cheers of opponents’ fans, especially opponents from the host country. Cheung and Kong had to rise to the challenge in order to win.

Just as the Olympic athletes have done, the city also needs to up its game if it wants to survive in a competitive world. Because of internal discord and friction within the community in the years approaching and after 1997, the city’s development has stalled. We are losing ground to some of our neighboring regions in many business areas.

To make things worse, the rapid deterioration in Sino-US relations in recent years has inevitably and adversely affected the SAR. The subversive activities of anti-China forces and the biased anti-China tone of the media reached a climax in 2019 when violent social unrest engulfed the entire city. Social order and economic activities were seriously disrupted. Five years have passed and Hong Kong is still haunted by its aftereffects.

In a sports match, a coach often calls for a timeout to give advice to players who are struggling. Such advice either helps the players cool off or serves as a pick-me-up so that they can adjust strategies to reverse the situation. However, it is largely the athlete’s in-game performance that decides the outcome. In all high-level sports competitions, athletes have almost the same level of skill, but the ones who have a seasoned ability to manage pressure effectively and remain calm have a better chance of winning. Cheung and Kong have demonstrated that kind of proficiency this summer.

In a similar way, the advice received from the State has helped the SAR find its way back onto the right path. Beijing’s timely measures have enabled the city to resume stability, which has made it possible for the city to focus on revitalizing its economy. The central government acts as a “coach” to Hong Kong during turbulent times.

Today, the world is highly competitive and the global scramble for talent is ferocious following the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hong Kong should not always rely on our “coach” to give directions and preferential treatment. The city needs initiative, creativity, proactivity and solidarity to excel. New development opportunities will not wait for us and will be taken up by our competitors if we are too relaxed. We cannot afford to let the years melt away any longer.

The athletes’ dedication and devotion personify the city’s never-give-up attitude, and the three Olympic stars’ remarks have been exceptionally heartening. “It is a huge honor (to represent Hong Kong). But my goal of going to the Olympics is not to be the most decorated athlete, but to do my best in the competition,” said Haughey.  

Cheung said: “We can now prove that we can achieve a lot of great things in a tiny place as long as we believe in ourselves and do not give up. ... I was telling myself that I have to play well in all of the matches, fight hard for each point and never give up even when I’m losing.”

Kong said it was the fervent belief that she could fight her way back point by point when she was 1-7 behind that kept her going. “I didn’t want to lose so badly and I didn’t want to give up without showing the Hong Kong spirit.”

The fencing queen has said she will take a break from professional fencing and work to help kids “find joy and playfulness back into sports”. “I want to learn, grow, and give back to Hong Kong to the best of my abilities,” she said. Her latest move has been to join the Hong Kong Jockey Club to promote youth and sports development.

Hong Kong people feel grateful to Haughey, Cheung, Kong and all the other local elite athletes because they have shown us that the Hong Kong spirit still prevails. Keep it up, Hong Kong!

The author, a Hong Kong-based freelance writer, is an adviser to the Hong Kong Association of Media Veterans.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.