In March, he also missed training for a month after testing positive for COVID-19 after returning home from the 2021 World Cup in Budapest.Įven though the South Korean fencers had their own individual hurdles to overcome,as promised, they'll return to South Korea as a team, each with a gold medal hanging around their necks. The world's number one fencer, Oh Sang-uk, was struggling with injuries picked up during the men's individual sabre event. The dream team has been top of the world ranking since 2017, and all four of the South Korean fencers are ranked in the world's top 20. It's also the fourth Olympic medal for the oldest South Korean fencer on the sabre team, 38-year-old Kim Jung-hwan, a record for a South Korean fencer.Īs mentioned by President Moon Jae-in in a message of congratulations, the country's men's sabre fencing team is made up of skilled fencers with strong leadership skills and bags of confidence. Wednesday's win is South Korea's first gold in fencing in Tokyo, but third medal overall in the discipline,following a silver medal in women's epee Tuesday and Kim Jung-hwan's bronze medal last weekend. World number one Oh Sang-uk along with Gu Bon-gil, Kim Jung-hwan and Kim Jun-ho dominated Italy 45 to 26 in the team event as South Korea bagged their second straight Olympic gold medal in the event after their win at London 2012, the last time it was an official Olympic event. "I believe we're capable (of winning gold medals)," Kim said.Team Korea secured another gold medal Wednesdaythis time in men's sabre fencing. Near the end of the duel, it was still unclear who would walk away with Olympic glory, as the two faced off in a sudden-death elimination stand after the regulation match ended in a draw. Still, the Koreans are upbeat about their prospects in Tokyo. South Koreas Shin A-Lam and Germanys Britta Heidemann faced off on Monday in the womans epee (fencing) to determine who would advance to the gold medal match. Park said he was "disappointed" about the delay of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, given that he had to wait another year for the event when he was feeling that he was getting into form. Oh tested positive for COVID-19 after winning gold at the Budapest World Cup, and had to recuperate at a hospital for a month before being released in April. "We feel the weight of expectations, but since the 2012 London Olympics, we've grown into a fencing powerhouse," Yonhap news agency quoted Kim Jung-hwan, a 37-year-old veteran and gold medallist of 2012 as part of the men’s sabre team, as saying in April.īut like many, the team's training regimen has been interrupted by the pandemic. South Korea also won a bronze medal as well that year. That success carried over to the 2016 Rio Olympics, where Park Sang-young mounted one of the great Olympic comebacks to win the men's epee individual gold, winning a gold medal by coming from 14-10 down and taking five consecutive points. Only Italy beat South Korea that year in the fencing gold medal and total medal tallies. With two gold, one silver and three bronze medals, the 2012 London Olympics proved to be the turning point for South Korea's fencing record. The women's epee team also won a silver medal at the competition after losing only to Poland and winning against Italy. Oh Sang-uk beat Olympic gold medallist Szilagyi Aron to win gold at the Budapest World Cup in March in the men's sabre individual event, and currently sits atop the world's rankings.Ĭhoi In-jeong became the champion of the women's epee at the Kazan Epee World Cup in March, beating French fencer Aliya Luty. TOKYO: Olympic fencing has long been dominated by Europe but the tide may turn at the Tokyo Olympics with South Korea presenting a line-up of strong players who could put Asia on the map.Īlthough South Korea will miss out on the team foil events, it will compete in all 10 other competitions at the Olympics.Īnd with some strong players who have beaten reigning Olympic champions, they may be well on their way to their own gold medals.