The South Korean women's sabre and men's epee teams have both advanced to the finals of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, securing at least silver medals. The women's sabre team aims to reclaim the title after eight years, while the men's epee team reaches the finals for the first time in 12 years after defeating host nation Japan.
On September 27, the South Korean women's sabre team achieved a decisive 45-29 victory over China in the semifinals held at the Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, Japan. The team consists of Jeon Ha-young (Seoul City Hall), Kim Jeong-mi, Seo Ji-yeon (both from Ansan City Hall), and Choi Se-bin (Daejeon City Hall).
From the start, South Korea took control of the match. Jeon Ha-young opened with a 5-1 lead against Lao Xueyi and maintained a significant advantage throughout the bout. In the fifth round, Jeon added to the score, extending South Korea's lead to 25-16.
The team continued to fend off China's attempts to close the gap, finishing the match with a final score of 45-29 to secure their place in the finals.
Previously, the women's sabre team advanced to the semifinals with a bye in the round of 16 and defeated Hong Kong 45-28 in the quarterfinals before their victory over China.
The South Korean women's sabre team won the gold medal at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games and earned a bronze medal at the 2022 Hangzhou Games. They are now seeking to reclaim the Asian Games title after eight years.
The men's epee team also successfully reached the finals on the same day. Comprising Park Sang-young, Jang Hyo-min (both from Ulsan City Hall), Nam Yeon-ho (Korea National Sport University), and Kwon Oh-min (Military Sports Corps), the team triumphed over Japan in a closely contested semifinal that went to overtime, winning 38-37.
At one point during the match, South Korea led 25-17, but Japan fought back, tying the score at 34-34 in the eighth round. Jang Hyo-min, the final competitor, initially fell behind against Kanno Koki but managed to equalize at 36-36, forcing the match into overtime.
In overtime, after a simultaneous hit, Jang secured the final point with 37 seconds remaining, confirming their place in the finals. This marks the first time the South Korean men's epee team has reached the Asian Games finals since the 2014 Incheon Games.
The men's epee team previously achieved three consecutive gold medals in 2006 Doha, 2010 Guangzhou, and 2014 Incheon but settled for bronze in the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang and 2022 Hangzhou Games. They are now aiming for gold once again.
The men's epee final will take place at 6:40 PM against Kazakhstan, while the women's sabre final is scheduled for 7:40 PM against the winner of the Japan-Uzbekistan semifinal.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.