Nicholas Choi
Quick Facts
Biography
Nicholas Edward Choi (Chinese: 崔浩然; Jyutping: ceoi1 hou5 jin4) is a Hong Kong foil fencer.
Career
Choi took up fencing in 2002 while he was in primary school. He thought the sport was cool because of the lights going off at each hit. His younger sister, Natasha Erica, followed his example. When she was selected into the Hong Kong Sports Institute junior fencing team, his pride was piqued and he resolved to train harder until he was selected in his turn.
In 2010 he was the second-placed Asian at the Cadet World Championships in Baiku, qualifying to the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics. He was defeated in the table of 16 by Denmark's Alexander Tsoronis and finished 9th. He was then drafted into the Hong Kong's senior fencing team and began to study at the Institute of Vocational Education, Chai Wan. At the 2011 Asian Championships he reached the quarter-finals after seeing off Olympic silver medallist Yuki Ota.
At the age of 19, Choi qualified to the 2012 Summer Olympics as the second-ranked Asian, becoming the youngest fencer to represent Hong Kong at the Olympics. Despite losing in the first round to Romania's Radu Dărăban, he received a “Hong Kong Potential Sports Star Award” for his achievement.