▲ Song Sera on the gold medal podium
Song Sera (33, Busan Metropolitan City Hall), who claimed her dream Asian Games individual gold medal on her second attempt, described the gold medal as tasting "so good."
Song secured the championship by defeating Tikana Kiria (Singapore) 15-8 in the final of the women's epee individual event held at Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture, Japan on the 22nd.
Meeting with reporters after the match, Song said of the gold medal, "It tastes so good. I had no idea it tasted like this," adding, "Because I didn't have an individual gold medal from a major international comprehensive multisport event, my desire to win one was extremely strong. I also felt that I needed to show something to the team."
Having won the individual silver medal at the 2022 Hangzhou Games held in 2023, Song reached the top of the individual podium in her second Asian Games appearance.
Song, who conquered the World Championships individual event twice in 2022 and this year, uniquely lacked a victory in individual events at major international multisport events like the Olympics and the Asian Games.
At the Hangzhou Asian Games, she took home the silver medal after losing in the final to national team senior Choi In-jeong, and she was eliminated in the round of 16 at both the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The one-point matches in the quarterfinals and semifinals (both 15-14) on this day served as the final hurdles for Song to grasp the gold medal.
Particularly in the semifinal, trailing 11-13 in a tight deficit where defeat seemed imminent, Song dramatically forced the match into overtime when her attack targeting the opponent's upper body landed successfully with 7 seconds remaining at 13-14.
She then scored the first point to step onto the final stage.
Song explained, "When I first saw the bracket, there were tough opponents, so I was very nervous. I talked to myself a lot, telling myself to 'stay focused,'" and added, "Both the quarterfinals and the semifinals were done with confidence. Especially in the semifinal, both of our attacks went in at the exact same time at the end, but mine was a bit faster."
Having juggled rehabilitation for a hamstring injury for nearly two years, Song picked the rehabilitation training as the most difficult moment on her path to the gold medal.
She said, "In fact, even before preparing for today's match, I went through rehabilitation training and fencing, and the rehabilitation training seems to have been the hardest," adding, "I want to praise myself for overcoming it well, and I want to express my gratitude to the many people who helped me behind the scenes."
Now, Song's gaze turns toward the team event.
Song will team up with Lim Tae-hee, Lee Hye-in, and Yang Seung-hye to compete in the women's epee team event on the 25th.
South Korea, which reached the top of this event for the first time in 21 years at the Hangzhou Games, will challenge for its second consecutive victory at the tournament.
Song said, "We must prepare well for the team event without letting our guard down," and noted, "The individual event is a bit lonely. The team event feels a bit more reassuring because I can lean on others and there are times when I need to step up for them."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.