In the previous edition of the Asian Games in 2018, South Korea dominated the fencing competition, clinching a total of six gold medals at the event. The country’s success was mostly attributed to the male fencers winning in the Team foil, Individual sabre, and Team sabre competitions.
This year at the Hangzhou Asian Games, the South Koreans replicated their victory and bagged the gold medal at the Team sabre event. Their powerhouse roster, which featured Oh Sang-guk, Kim Jun-ho, and Gu Bon-gil, also collectively known as “the Avengers,” got off to a great start in the men’s sabre competition, making it to the final with ease. In the final, they upset their Chinese opponents in the nine-bout final with a score of 45-33.
Gu Bon-gil, 34, has added another gold medal to his collection of Asian Games honors, bringing his total to six with the Hangzhou success.
“The teamwork was very good and the home crowd was cheering really loudly, but it wasn’t a problem for us,” Gu said in a statement.“(Oh) promised me we would win gold in the team match.”
South Korea Wins
“I dedicate my individual silver medal to my wife and my gold to my baby son.”
In addition, their female compatriots also won gold for the Land of the Morning Calm at the Individual and Team Epée events, with Choi In Jeong winning the Individual title and the women’s team winning the Team Epée event.
In the Individual Epée, the final round featured an all-Korean showdown between Choi In Jeong and Song Se-ra. In a close fight, Choi defeated Song 9-8, emerging victorious and clinching her first ever Asian Games gold.
Meanwhile, in the Team Epée event, the South Korean women’s team rejoiced as they clinched gold, as this put an end to a 21-year gold medal drought for the country.
With their top-notch performance in the Asian Games, fans are now looking forward to South Korea’s fencing team at the Paris Olympics in 2024, which will be held from July 26 to August 11.
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The photo above is from a YouTube screengrab