Tokoname:South Korea triumphed in the women's sabre fencing team event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, securing the nation's fourth fencing title on the final day of the competition.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the South Korean team, composed of Choi Se-bin, Jeon Ha-young, Seo Ji-yeon, and Kim Jeong-mi, defeated Japan's team of Misaki Emura, Yui Sano, Yuina Kaneko, and Seri Ozaki with a score of 45-31. The event took place at Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, south of Nagoya.
Although none of the South Korean fencers claimed an individual medal earlier in the Games, they succeeded in capturing the team title. Choi, who was part of the 2023 Asian Games team that won bronze, expressed her satisfaction in turning the medal color to gold this time. She remarked, "I'm happier that I changed the color to gold. I'm satisfied that I could help my teammates win gold at their first Asian Games."
The team fencing events consist of nine head-to-head bouts, each lasting three minutes. A bout concludes when one team's score reaches a multiple of five, and the team achieving 45 points first, or having more points at the end of the ninth bout, wins the event. Choi opened the match with a 5-2 victory over Emura, followed by Jeon's 5-4 win against Sano. Seo then secured a 5-2 win over Kaneko, extending South Korea's lead to 15-8.
Despite suffering an apparent knee injury, Seo contributed to the victory, with substitute Kim Jeong-mi stepping in to close out the bout. The final score was 40-25 after Choi's match against Ozaki, and Jeon only needed five more points to secure the title, which she accomplished with ease.
Reflecting on her performance, Jeon, a former world No. 1, noted the importance of maintaining a positive mindset after failing to reach the semifinals in the individual event. She stated, "After the individual event, I lost not because of my incompetence but because of my mindset. For the past two days, I tried to think positively, and that helped me enjoy the competition."
South Korea's women's sabre team previously won bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and silver at the 2024 Paris Olympics. They now aim to achieve gold at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Jeon expressed her ambition, saying, "I don't think we have a lot of time until the LA Olympics. I hope to prepare well, manage my injuries and win the team gold."