[Asian Games] Korea blows big lead to settle for silver in men's epee fencing team event

Korea fencers squandered a sizable lead, ultimately securing silver in the men's epee fencing team event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Happening on Sunday, the contest saw Korea's Park Sang-young, Jang Hyo-min, Nam Yeon-ho, and Kwon O-min fall short against Kazakhstan's Kirill Prokhodov, Ruslan Kurbanov, Vadim Sharlaimov, and Yerlik Sertay by a narrow margin of 43-42.

Located in Tokoname, south of Nagoya, the Aichi Sky Expo venue witnessed Korea's team attempt to claim a 12th consecutive men's epee team medal. Despite none of the three Korean fencers achieving significant individual success, their combined efforts contributed to the silver medal achievement. Team fencing competitions consist of nine head-to-head bouts, each lasting three minutes or ending when a team reaches a multiple of five points.

Korea first tied with Kazakhstan, with both teams scoring three points in the opening bout. Park and Prokhodov subsequently tied at 3-3 in the subsequent round, giving Korea a 6-4 lead. Nam Yeon-ho's victory over Ruslan Kurbanov (3-1) increased Korea's advantage to 12-9. Park Sang-young then amplified the gap by outscoring Yerlik Sertay 7-1, leading to Korea achieving a 19-point lead.