(Asiad) S. Korea blows big lead to settle for silver in men's epee fencing team event

In the women's sabre fencing team event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, South Korea emerged victorious on Sunday, securing their fourth fencing title at the Games. The South Korean team, comprising Choi Se-bin, Jeon Ha-young, Seo Ji-yeon, and Kim Jeong-mi, defeated Japan's Misaki Emura, Yui Sano, Yuina Kaneko, and Seri Ozaki with a score of 45-31.

South Korea did not win any individual medals in the competition, but they triumphed as a team. Choi Se-bin had previously represented South Korea at the 2023 Asian Games, where they secured a bronze medal. The fencing competition consisted of nine head-to-head bouts, each lasting three minutes and ending when a team reached a score multiple of five.

The match commenced with Choi Se-bin defeating Japan's Misaki Emura 5-2, followed by Jeon Ha-young's 5-4 victory over Yui Sano. Seo Ji-yeon also won her bout against Yuina Kaneko 5-2, pushing the South Korean team's lead to 15-8. Choi Se-bin continued the team's advantage by defeating Sano 5-4, bringing the score to 20-12.

However, Seo Ji-yeon suffered an apparent knee injury during her match against Kaneko and was substituted by Kim Jeong-mi. Kim Jeong-mi secured the final point for South Korea with a 5-3 win, pushing the team's score to 25-15. In the final bout, Choi Se-bin and Jeon Ha-young combined to win against Kaneko and Ozaki, closing the gap to 35-19. With Jeon Ha-young needing only five more points to clinch the title, and Ozaki required an additional 20 points to catch up, South Korea's victory was virtually assured.