Women's Fencing ?p?e Team Wins Valuable Silver Medal in Team Event for the First Time in 9 Years Since London

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Our women's fencing ?p?e team won the silver medal in the Olympic team event for the first time in 9 years.

The women's ?p?e team, consisting of Choi In-jeong (Gyeryong City Hall), Kang Young-mi (Gwangju Metropolitan City Seo-gu Office), Song Se-ra (Busan Metropolitan City Hall), and substitute player Lee Hye-in (Gangwon Province Office), finished as runners-up after losing 32-36 to Estonia in the final of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics held on the 27th at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan.

Our women's ?p?e team reached the team event final for the first time in 9 years since winning the silver medal at the 2012 London Games, and once again secured the silver medal this time. Choi In-jeong contributed to the team’s runner-up finish for the second time in her career, adding her second Olympic medal following London.

Korean fencing earned its second medal of the tournament following the bronze medal won by Kim Jung-hwan (Korea Sports Promotion Foundation) in the men's sabre individual event on the 24th.

In the final, they fought a close match against Estonia, a powerhouse in ?p?e, until the very end.

Starting as the first fencer, Choi In-jeong fell behind 2-4 to Yulia Beliaeva, but Korea leveled the score at 7-7 in the second match when Kang Young-mi skillfully landed consecutive attacks against the tall (over 180 cm) Katrina Lehis.

Song Se-ra, who showed excellent form in the semifinals, maintained a 12-10 lead by effectively blocking Erika Kirpu in the third match, and Kang Young-mi held onto the lead exchanging two points with Beliaeva.

Leading 22-21, Korea substituted Kang Young-mi with Lee Hye-in in the seventh match, while Estonia replaced Kirpu with 41-year-old veteran Irina Embrich, leading to a face-off between the substitute players. From this point, the momentum shifted somewhat.

After Embrich’s experienced play caused Korea to fall behind 22-23, the score was tied again at 24-24, and the eighth match between Song Se-ra and Beliaeva ended evenly at 26-26.

In the final ninth match, Choi In-jeong faced off against Lehis, the individual bronze medalist, in an 'ace showdown,' but immediately conceded three consecutive points, losing the momentum. With 23 seconds remaining, Choi narrowed the gap to 30-31, but subsequent consecutive points allowed Estonia to maintain control.