Latest news with #MaurizioZomparelli
South China Morning Post
24-07-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
World champion fencer Ryan Choi's coaches saved his season – and now they're tickled ‘pink'
Hong Kong's first fencing world champion almost did not come to be – had Ryan Choi Chun-yin stuck with his idea of skipping the rest of the season after some poor results up to early May. On Wednesday, Choi went all the way in Tbilisi, Georgia, dominating Kirill Borodachev of Russia, who was taking part as a neutral fencer, before sealing a comfortable 15-9 win to become Hong Kong's first-ever fencing world champion. Choi's recent form resurgence began at the Shanghai Grand Prix in mid-May, after coach Maurizio Zomparelli talked the Hongkonger out of the idea of forgoing the rest of his season. Winning his maiden senior international title in Songjiang was only the start. The Asian Championships title followed a month later in Bali – 13 years after Choi had won at the 2012 Asian Junior and Cadet Fencing Championships in the same city. Born on October 9, 1997, a little more than three months after the handover of Hong Kong back to China's sovereignty, Choi began fencing – on his mother's suggestion – when he was a nine-year-old pupil at La Salle Primary School. Ryan Choi (right) beat Kirill Borodachev in the épée final at the World Championships on Wednesday. Photo: EPA Choi recalled resisting the sport very much in the beginning, thinking it was 'violent and dangerous' and felt like it was merely 'fighting with weapons'.
South China Morning Post
21-05-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
‘Desperate' Hong Kong fencer Ryan Choi almost abandoned season before Shanghai glory
Hong Kong fencer Ryan Choi Chun-yin has targeted further success on the back of his breakthrough triumph at the weekend – but revealed he almost skipped the event after a wretched run of results left him ready to write off the year. Foilist Choi outsmarted former world champion Tommaso Marini 15-12 in the Shanghai Grand Prix on Sunday to win his first senior individual international title. Choi's maiden win almost did not happen as the left-hander revealed he thought about skipping the rest of the season after missing out on the main draw of the World Cup in Vancouver earlier this month, adding to the disappointment of not qualifying for the Paris Olympic Games last July. However, coach Maurizio Zomparelli managed to talk him out of the idea. Ryan Choi hugs coach Maurizio Zomparelli after his Shanghai Grand Prix win on Sunday. Photo: FIE 'I didn't play well in any tournament after failing to qualify for Paris – it was not regression on my part but a case of results not reflecting my improvement,' said Choi, who saw his latest rankings climb 15 spots to world No 17. 'I was desperate and wanted to bring the curtain down on the season. 'I didn't lose because of any technical issues but some external factors that discouraged me, but coach [Zamparelli] persuaded me to go on.'
