Korea takes four sabre medals at Asian Fencing Championships

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Published: 13 Jun. 2022, 13:15

Korea takes four sabre medals at Asian Fencing Championships

Gu Bon-gil plays countryman Kim Jung-hwan in the men's individual sabre final of the 2022 Seoul Asian Fencing Championships at SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Songpa,southern Seoul, on Friday. Korea swept the men's sabre podium, with Gu winning gold, Kim winning silver and Oh Sang-uk winning bronze. [YONHAP]

Choi Soo-yeon won the women's individual sabre gold medal at the 2022 Seoul Asian Fencing Championships at SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Songpa, southern Seoul, on Sunday, where Korea also swept the men's sabre podium on Friday with Gu Bon-gil winning gold, Kim Jung-hwan silver and Oh Sang-uk bronze.

World No. 17 Choi Soo-yeon beat No. 3 Misaki Emura of Japan 15-9 in the final to clinch gold.

Choi Soo-yeon was part of the Korean women's sabre team that won the bronze medal at the Tokyo Games last summer. It was the first medal Korea has ever won in the event.

Gu Bon-gil won the individual men's sabre gold medal at the 2022 Seoul Asian Fencing Championships at SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Songpa, southern Seoul, on Friday. [YONHAP]

In the men's sabre semifinals, Kim beat Oh 15-11 while Gu beat Artyom Sarkissyan of Kazakhstan 15-10 in the other leg. Then in the finals, Gu beat Kim 15-11 in the final to clinch gold.

Kim, Gu and Oh are all members of the men’s sabre team that won gold at the Tokyo Olympics.

But Kim and Gu go back even further, both being members of the 2012 national team that won gold at the London Games.

Korea is currently the No. 1 team in the world, with 352 FIE points, far ahead of the second placed Hungary with 276 points and third placed Germany with 264 points.

Choi In-jeong won the individual women's épée silver medal at the 2022 Seoul Asian Fencing Championships at SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Songpa, southern Seoul, on Friday. [YONHAP]

Park Sang-young won the individual men's épée bronze medal at the 2022 Seoul Asian Fencing Championships at SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Songpa, southern Seoul, on Saturday. [YONHAP]

In the individual épée bout, world No. 1 Choi In-jeong won the women’s silver medal on Friday while Park Sang-young won the men’s bronze medal on Saturday. Both were members of the national team at the Olympics where Choi In-jeong won the women’s team silver medal and Park had won the men’s team bronze medal.

With the Championships running through Wednesday, Korea will be looking to repeat their past success of having led the medal standings at the 2019 Asian Championships, with 13 in total and five gold.

As of press time, Korea will play the men’s sabre semifinal against Hong Kong while the women’s épée team will face Japan in the semifinal on Monday.

The men’s team épée matches and women’s team foil matches will be held on Tuesday while the men’s foil team matches and women’s sabre team matches will be held on the last day of the event.

BY YUN SO-HYANG [yun.sohyang@joongang.co.kr]