How Hong Kong Made History at the 2024 Olympics
Hong Kong made history at the 2024 Paris Olympics when Vivian Kong became the first woman from Hong Kong to win a gold medal in fencing—but that's not the only reason that the territory has tongues wagging since the Summer Games went underway.
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Hong Kong's conflicts with China have made headlines since 2020, leading many to wonder how and why Hong Kong has their own Olympic athletes outside of Team China. If you're wondering why Hong Kong is not with China in the Olympics, the answer is both simple and complicated, depending on how deep you want to delve into it. Here it is in layman's terms.
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How is Hong Kong in the Olympics in 2024?
After control of Hong Kong was transferred from the U.K. to China in 1997, Hong Kong maintained its own National Olympic Committee (NOC). This allows athletes from Hong Kong to compete separately from athletes from China.
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Why is Hong Kong not with China in the Olympics?
Hong Kong has its own NOC, which it's maintained since they first competed in the Olympics in 1952.
How much does Hong Kong pay for Olympic medals?
Hong Kong rewards its winning athletes more handsomely than any other competing country: Sky News reports that Hong Kong awards $768,000 per gold medal and $380,000 per silver medal.
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How many athletes from Hong Kong are in the Olympics?
There are 35 athletes from Hong Kong in the 2024 Paris Olympics. They are:
Fencing
Daphne Chan
No Wai Hang
Vivian Kong (who made history as the first woman from Hong Kong to win a gold medal in fencing)
Cheung Ka Long (who won gold in men's fencing)
Artistic Gymnastics
Shek Wai Hung
Swimming
Stephanie Au
Camille Cheng
Cindy Cheung
Siobhán Haughey (bronze winner for women's 200-meter freestyle)
Ian Ho
Natalie Kan
Tam Hoi Lam
Triathlon
Jason Ng Tai Long
Cycling
Lee Sze Wing
Lau Wan Yau
Taekwondo
Lo Wai Fung
Judo
Wong Ka Lee
Rowing
Chiu Hin Chun
Sailing
Russell Alysworth
Ma Kwan Ching
Nicholas Halliday
Akira Sakai
Cheng Ching Yin
Sprinting
Felix Diu
Badminton
Yeung Pui Lam
Tang Chun Man
Tse Ying Suet
Yeung Nga Ting
Lo Sin Yan
Lee Cheuk Yiu
Table Tennis
Lee Ho Ching
Zhu Chengzhu
Doo Hoi Kem
Wong Chun Ting
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Is Hong Kong considered China?
Since 1997, Hong Kong has been considered a special administrative region (SAR) of China. Hong Kong retains its own governing and economic systems, while mainland China is responsible for Hong Kong's foreign relations and defense, according to Pew Research Center.
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Is Hong Kong a country?
That depends on who you ask. Technically, it is a SAR within the People's Republic of China after Britain handed over the territory in 1997. At the time, China agreed to give Hong Kong a sizable degree of autonomy for the next 50 years, but according to the Council on Foreign Relations, hasn't held up that end of the bargain: In 2020, China enacted strict national security laws in Hong Kong, arresting and detaining dissenters, activists and even journalists. Democracy as a whole, as well as the freedoms of speech, assembly, religion, the press and expression were severely limited and remain so as of this writing in July 2024.
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What is the Hong Kong country code at the Olympics?
Hong Kong's country code at the 2024 Olympics is HKG.
