(LEAD) (Asiad) Oh Sang-uk defends men's individual sabre fencing title at Asian Games

Tokoname, Japan—South Korean fencer Oh Sang-uk secured the gold medal in the men's individual sabre fencing event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Wednesday, successfully defending his Asiad title. The reigning Olympic champion edged out China's Shen Chenpeng 15-13 in the gold medal bout at the Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, located approximately 35 kilometers south of the main host city of Nagoya.

This marks Oh's second consecutive Asian Games victory in the individual sabre event, following his gold win at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, where he also claimed the team title. Bronze medals were awarded to Kazakhstan's Artyom Sarkissyan and Iran's Seyed Ali Esmaeilzadeh Pakdaman. Oh is among the most accomplished fencers in men's sabre, a weapon that involves cutting and thrusting above the waist, targeting the arms and head.

He has won an individual Olympic gold in 2024, two team golds in 2020 and 2024, and four world championship titles, including an individual crown in 2019. On the continental front, Oh finished second in the individual sabre at the 2018 Asian Games and claimed gold at the 2023 tournament.