Song Sera Secures Gold in Dramatic Fencing Victory for First Individual Games Title

[Anchor]

The gold medal hunt has begun in fencing, a reliable source of medals for our national team. On the first day of the fencing events, women's national team star Song Sera successfully landed gold-winning strikes, claiming her first individual Asian Games gold medal.

Reporter Kim Hyeong-yeol has the details.

[Reporter]

Song Sera advanced to the final by staging a dramatic comeback against Japan's Terayama in the semifinals.

Facing defeat if she gave up just one more point, she executed a sudden arm strike to tie the score at 14-14. In the ensuing overtime, she accurately counterattacked toward her opponent's head while stepping back from an attack, raising both arms to celebrate her advancement to the final.

In the final against Singapore's Kiria, she managed the match with greater composure and fully showcased her skills.

Springing forward to counterattack and exquisitely striking her opponent's foot, she overwhelmed her rival to secure a dominant 15-8 victory and clinch the gold medal.

Following her gold medal at this year's World Championships, she conquered the Asian Games as well, savoring the finest moment of her career at age 33.

[Song Sera / National Fencing Epee Team: I was very nervous, but I overcame it well and I am so happy. I am so glad and proud to have been of help as a member of South Korea.]

Song is the standout star who became the only South Korean fencer to win two individual World Championship titles, but she had previously missed out on individual gold medals at major international comprehensive events like the Olympics and Asian Games, including a loss to senior teammate Choi In-jeong in an overtime final at the Hangzhou Asian Games.

This time was different.

As the eldest sister of the national team, she burned with fighting spirit until the end, fulfilling her golden dream in an individual event at a major multi-sport competition.

Song will now join forces with her younger teammates to aim for a second consecutive team event victory.

[Song Sera / National Fencing Epee Team: I will do my best so that all of my teammates can wear gold medals around their necks. I ask for your continued support and interest through the team event.]

Yun Jung-hyun won a bronze medal in the men's foil, ensuring that the reliable fencing team won medals in both events on the opening day.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
Reported by Yang Doo-won | Video by Lee Hong-myeong | Graphics by Cho Su-in
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.