Song Se-ra wins epee gold at Fencing World Championships

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Published: 19 Jul. 2022, 16:23

Song Se-ra wins epee gold at Fencing World Championships

Song Se-ra reacts after winning the women's épée gold medal against Alexandra Ndolo of Germany at the Fencing World Championships in Cairo, Egypt on Monday. [EPA/YONHAP]

Song Se-ra in action against Vivian Kong of Hong Kong during their women's épée semifinal match at the Fencing World Championships, in Cairo, Egypt on Monday. [EPA/YONHAP]

Song Se-ra won the women's épée gold medal at the 2022 Fencing World Championships held In Cairo, Egypt on Monday, marking Korea's first women's individual epee gold medal in 20 years.

On Monday, Song beat Alexandra Ndolo of Germany 11-10 after a grueling match.

Song trailed two points behind the German at 9-7 with just one minute and 41 seconds left on the clock. However, Song was able to start a comeback, quickly leveling the score to 9-9 with one minute and 18 seconds left on the clock.

In an épée bout, a comeback is hard enough without it being the final of a gold medal match because in épée, unlike with the other two weapons, double hits are allowed, meaning that Song was skillful and bold enough to hit and avoid being hit at the same time.

Then Song was able to score another, taking a one-point lead with 40 seconds left on the clock.

However, the German épéeist did not back down, tying the score at 10-10 with just 24 seconds of regular match time left on the clock.

As the two fencers were tied at the end of the nine minutes, the match was extended another minute.

As a rule, for the extended one minute, one fencer is randomly selected and given priority. In this minute, whichever fencer scores first wins but if both fencers fail to score within the time limit, the fencer with the priority wins.

With the priority given to Song, the German lunged forward attempting to score an attack but missed as Song ducked, simultaneously counter attacking in the low opening of her opponent, winning the last point.

Song Se-ra, second from left, poses next to silver medalist Alexandra Ndolo of Germany, far left, and bronze medalists Vivian Kong of Hong Kong, second from right, and Rossella Fiamingo of Italy on Monday at the 2022 Fencing World Championships in Cairo, Egypt. [KOREAN FENCING FEDERATION]

"I can't believe that I actually won," Song said after the match.

"I am so happy to be this lucky. I am grateful and happy to have written new history for women's épée after 20 years.

"I actually played my first three minutes defensively, but I felt that strategy didn't work very well so I changed into a more aggressive style which I think shook my opponent. I gained confidence from that and was able to carry out my techniques."

Song's medal is Korea's first World Championships gold medal in the women's individual épée since 2002, when Hyun Hee won gold to become one of the two first Asian fencers to win gold at the World Championships.

Song, having won her first medal at the Junior World Championships in 2013, now has her first-ever senior World Championship medal and rises to No. 3 in the world rankings.

Song was also a member of the Korean women's épée team that took home silver in at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, alongside Choi In-jeong, Kang Young-mi and Lee Hye-in.

Choi finished ninth, Kang 19th and Lee 32nd on Monday.

The same four épéeists will be looking for a medal in the team event at the World Championships on Wednesday.

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