Song Sera's Golden Thrust... First Individual Gold Medal

[Anchor]

Fencing, a reliable source of medals for our national team, has begun its hunt for gold. On the first day of the fencing events, women's team standout Song Sera successfully delivered a golden thrust to capture her first individual Asian Games gold medal.

Reporter Kim Hyeong-yeol has the story.

[Reporter]

Song Sera reached the final after staging a dramatic come-from-behind victory against Japan's Terayama in the semifinals.

On the verge of defeat if she conceded just one more point, she surprised her opponent with a sudden arm thrust to tie the score at 14-14. In the ensuing extra period, even as she retreated from her opponent's attack, she executed a precise counterattack targeting the head, raising both arms to celebrate her advance 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 thrusting at her opponent's foot, she drove the opponent back before securing a 15-8 victory to claim the gold medal.

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

[Song Sera / National Fencing Épée 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 the Republic of Korea.]

Song is a leading star who remains the only South Korean fencer to win the World Championships individual event twice, but she had previously lacked gold medals in individual events at major international multi-sport competitions like the Olympics and Asian Games, having lost to her senior Choi In-jeong in an extra period during the final of the previous Hangzhou Asian Games.

This time was different.

As the eldest sister of the national team, she poured her fighting spirit until the very end to fulfill her golden dream in an individual multi-sport event.

Song will now join forces with her younger teammates to challenge for a second consecutive team title.

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

Yoon Jung-hyun won a bronze medal in the men's foil, allowing the dependable fencing team to secure medals in both events on the opening day.

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