In Hong Kong, hundreds of people gathered at a shopping mall to watch fencer Cheung Ka Long receive his medal.
In Great Britain, video footage of the pre-dawn celebrations in Maidenhead, west London, went viral after Tom Dean will lead the first British swimming Olympic double in 113 years.
“We didn’t invite anyone until after the semi-finals, obviously,” his mother, Jacquie Hughes, told the BBC.
Crowds in Hong Kong’s Kwun Tong APM mall were seen chanting “We Are Hong Kong” as the city’s flag was waving at the Tokyo Olympics medal ceremony. Cheung Ka Long won gold in individual men’s foil fencing, becoming Hong Kong’s second Olympic gold winner.
Photo: @AP, Video: CJ pic.twitter.com/AhMWlCd9Yp
– Radio Free Asia (@RadioFreeAsia)
July 26, 2021
“Yesterday morning we decided that since we couldn’t be there, it would be nice if Tom knew that some of his family and friends were watching him,” he added.
Dean triumphed despite two COVID-19 outbreaks in the run-up to the Games.
“We invited some members of the club and some neighbors, and before we knew it there were 70 people in the garden watching it on a big screen. I think we swam every meter with it, but on land.”