There was no bronze match in the championship so Kong was automatically awarded the medal.

It was the seventh time the 28-year-old had played against Song, with Kong beating her by four victories to two in the previous six matches.

Kong had fallen behind at 1-2 in the first game before committing further errors in the second, with the game ending at 5-7. She managed to reach a draw in the third game but Song eventually won 14-9.

Song went on to win the gold medal after defeating Germany's Alexandra Ndolo.

As one of the top 16 players, Kong had started off the championship on a strong note by defeating former world No 1 Mara Navarria at the quarterfinal. Kong's bronze marks Hong Kong's first medal at this year's championship and the second time she has placed third at the tournament.

After suffering a number of injuries, Kong's performance has fluctuated over the past few years.

She notably tore the cruciate ligament in her left knee before the 2017 world championship in Germany.

She also tore her knee ligaments in July 2019 but resumed training only one month afterward and went on to win Hong Kong's first medal at the championship in Hungary.

Olympic gold medalist Edgar Cheung Ka-long is also set to debut at the championship in a men's foil individual match tonight. Sixteen SAR fencers had qualified for the championship, which will run from July 15 to July 23.

Of these fencers, three - Kong, Cheung, and Ryan Choi Chun-yin - automatically qualified for the round of 64.