Sports Briefs

FENCING

Men’s team win first gold at world championships

The Korean men’s sabre fencing team has won its first-ever gold at the world championships.

The quartet of Gu Bon-gil, Kim Jung-hwan, Oh Sang-uk and Kim Jun-ho beat Hungary 45-22 at the International Fencing Federation World Championships in Leipzig, Germany, on Monday (local time) to win the gold medal for the first time.

This is the first time that Korea grabbed a gold medal at the worlds since Won Woo-young topped men’s individual sabre in 2010. It is also the first team gold at the worlds since the women’s foil team reached the top of the podium in 2005. The men’s sabre team previously took bronze in 2013 and silver in 2014.

Korea, the 2012 Olympic champion, cruised past China 45-20 in the round of 16 and defeated Romania 45-32 in the quarters. The men’s team then edged out the United States 45-44 to reach the final.

Gu, currently ranked world No. 1 men’s sabre, now has two medals at the worlds in Leipzig. He earlier won silver in individual sabre.

FOOTBALL

Lee Seung-woo to join with FC Barcelona training

Korean football prospect Lee Seung-woo will join FC Barcelona B team’s training this week, his agency here said Tuesday.

Team Twelve said Lee will join preseason training of the Spanish giants’ reserve squad in the second division. Lee earlier this month announced that he wouldn’t participate in the training of the Catalan club’s reserve squad until he hears an answer from Barcelona on his future status.

Lee was previously included on Barcelona B’s 35-man training squad for this summer, along with his Korean compatriot Paik Seung-ho.

The 19-year-old forward has been playing with Juvenil A of the La Liga club, which is the final team in the club’s youth academy. Because of the age limit, he needs to sign a new pro contract, but Lee has yet to receive a new contract offer from Barcelona.

Lee, who recently represented Korea at the FIFA U-20 World Cup at home, has been saying that he will seek a new club if he can’t make a senior debut with Barcelona. He has been linked with a move to other clubs including Borussia Dortmund.

With Honduran forward Choco Lozano and Brazilian attacking midfielder Vitinho joining Barcelona B and filling the non-EU player quota in their squad, it was widely expected that Lee would leave Barcelona this summer.

Lee joined Barcelona’s youth program, better known as La Masia, in 2011.

Yonhap