Korea's Hong Se-na claims bronze in women's foil at Hangzhou Asian Games

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Published: 25 Sep. 2023, 20:48 Updated: 25 Sep. 2023, 20:52

Korea's Hong Se-na claims bronze in women's foil at Hangzhou Asian Games

Korean fencer Hong Se-na reacts after losing to Huang Qianqian of China in the women’s foil individual semifinal at the Hangzhou Asian Games held at Hangzhou Dianzi University Gymnasium in Hangzhou, China on Monday. [YONHAP]

Hong Se-na lost 15-8 to Huang Qianqian of China in the women’s foil individual semifinal at the Hangzhou Asian Games Monday, failing to win a fifth consecutive Asiad gold medal for Korea, but securing a bronze.

The semifinal took place at Hangzhou Dianzi University Gymnasium in Hangzhou, China and Hong failed to dominate in the first period, only managing one point to end the period 7-1.

She secured a few more points in the second period, but her efforts fell short, ending the period at 11-5.

The 23-year-old then managed three consecutive points to take the score to 12-8 in the third period, but Huang ended it at 15-8, ending Hong’s chance of reaching the final.

Hong still won a bronze. In Asian Games fencing, there is no third-place match with the two losers from the semifinals earning a bronze each.

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

Had Hong won a gold in this year’s women’s foil, she would have won Korea’s fifth successive gold in the Games.

Nam Hyun-hee won two successive golds in 2006 and 2010 Asiads, before Jeon Hee-seok managed the same in the 2014 and 2018 tournaments.

Hong’s bronze in fencing came after one gold by Choi In-jeong and silver by Song Se-ra in épée a day earlier. The final was an all-Korean affair between the two.

Fencing is one of the sports that Korea has a chance of winning multiple medals in, as it has secured over 120 medals in total so far.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]