Choi In-jeong, Song Se-ra take gold and silver in all-Korean épée final

Choi In-jeong, left, and Song Se-ra compete in the women's epee final at the Hangzhou Asian games at Hangzhou Dianzi University Gymnasium in Hangzhou, China on Sunday. [YONHAP]

Korea won both gold and silver in the Asian Games women’s épée on Sunday as Song Se-ra and Choi In-jeong faced off in an all-Korean final at Hangzhou Dianzi University Gymnasium in Hangzhou, China.

Choi took gold after a close-fought final, beating teammate Song by a single point to win 9-8.

There was little to separate the pair, who have spent years training together, during the fight. Both the first and second period ended with a tied score: 2-2 at the end of the first period and 5-5 at the end of the second.

That deadlock continued until the very end of the bout, with the score tied at 8-8 until Choi was able to secure the final point to take the title during a minute of overtime.

Choi, 33, arrived in the final after seeing off Dilnaz Murzataeva of Uzbekistan 15-2 in the semifinals. Song, 30, saw a slightly more decisive result in her bout against Man Wai Vivian Kong of China, winning 15-11 to advance to the final.

Song and Choi are both Olympic silver medalists, winning the team event together in Tokyo in 2022. Choi also won the same event at London 2012, and the pair have both been at the center of Korea’s recent fencing success.

The pair will have the chance to medal again on Wednesday as they return to the piste for the women’s team event, where Korea is the clear favorite to take gold. They will be joined in that effort by teammates Kang Young-mi and Lee Hye-in.

Team Korea will return to the gymnasium tomorrow for the men’s sabre and women’s foil contests. Korea is a serious medal threat in the sabre, with the men talking gold in the team event at the Tokyo Olympics and last year’s World Cup alongside a host of individual medals.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]