Hong Kong's Grace Lau Mo-sheung performs in the women's kata ranking round of the karate competition during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Aug 5, 2021. (PHOTO / AFP)

Thirty-two-year-old Hong Kong martial artist Grace Lau Mo-sheung, rose to the top of the world’s female karate rankings on Wednesday, becoming the city’s first-ever martial artist to do so.

Lau expressed her gratitude on social media, thanking her team, friends, and family for their support, and vowed to continue pushing boundaries. 

Lau secured her first gold medal in the women’s kata event in the Asian Karate Federation Championships

According to the latest world ranking released by the World Karate Federation (WKF), Lau has notched up 7,125 points, rising from number two to number one.

READ MORE: Hong Kong's karate athlete Grace Lau wins first Asian gold

She has overtaken two Japanese elites,Hikaru Ono, who is currently ranked second, and Kiyou Shimizu, who is third.

Congratulating Lau for her achievement, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung on Wednesday said it is very exciting to see Hong Kong's homegrown athletes ranking among the best in the world again. 

"Grace Lau wrote a glorious page in Hong Kong's karate history by taking top spot in the world ranking ... We are proud of Grace's perseverance," he said in a statement.

Lau had several breakthroughs in 2023. She secured her first gold medal in the women’s kata event in the Asian Karate Federation Championships. She also earned a silver medal in the female individual kata event at the WKF Senior World Championships, marking the best achievement in her sporting career and also granting Hong Kong the best-ever result at the world karate championships.

READ MORE: Hong Kong's Grace Lau wins bronze at World Games

Grace Lau Mo-sheung of Hong Kong, China team poses with her bronze medal during the awards ceremony of the Women's Individual Kata Match in Linping Sports Centre Venue Cluster at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang province, Oct 5, 2023. (ANDY CHONG / CHINA DAILY)

Since the age of 16, Lau has represented Hong Kong in international competitions. She turned professional in 2015 and has consistently ranked among the top competitors in the world. In early 2016, Lau reached the third position in the world rankings, and in 2022, she rose to second place globally.

Contact the writer at amberwu@chinadailyhk.com