PARIS, France, July 27, 2024 – Hong Kong, China’s Man Wai Vivian Kong and Korea’s world champion Sanguk Oh won gold medals in individual women’s epee and men’s sabre fencing at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. In all, 12 gold-medal events in individual and team epee, foil and sabre are being held at the Grand Palais from July 27 to August 4.
Women’s Individual Epee (36 Fencers)
Kong faced France’s Auriane Mallo-Breton in the final bout of women’s epee, winning with a score of 13-12. This is the first-ever women’s Olympic medal in fencing for Hong Kong, China. In the semifinal round, Mallo-Breton won against Hungary’s Eszter Muhari, 15-9, while Kong defeated Estonia’s Nelli Differt, 15-11. The bronze medal went to Muhari over Differt, 15-14. Of note, in the round of 16, Muhari beat Korea’s world champion Sera Song, 15-6, and China’s Sihan Yu won against France’s world champion Marie-Florence Candassamy, 15-10. In the round of 32, Canada’s Ruien Xiao defeated Brazil’s world champion Nathalie Moellhausen, 15-11, Japan’s Miho Yoshimura beat China’s Olympic champion Yiwen Sun, 14-13, and USA’s Anne Cebula won against Italy’s two-time world champion Rossella Fiamingo, 15-14.
"I love the fencing family, I love the FIE”, said Kong. “I’m so lucky to be a part of it. I think [this medal] is a gift I can give everyone who has shown so much love. I’m so grateful to be in a position to give back and thank everyone.”
The top eight includes the following fencers:
- Man Wai Vivian Kong (HKG, gold)
- Auriane Mallo-Breton (FRA, silver)
- Eszter Muhari (HUN, bronze)
- Nelli Differt (EST)
- Alberta Santuccio (ITA)
- Sihan Yu (CHN)
- Vlada Kharkova (UKR)
- Olena Kryvytska (UKR)
Men’s Individual Sabre (34 fencers)
Oh faced Tunisia’s Fares Ferjani in the final bout of men’s sabre, winning the Olympic gold medal with a score of 15-11. In the semifinal round, Ferjani won against Egypt’s Ziad Elsissy, 15-11, while Oh defeated Italy’s Luigi Samele, 15-5. The bronze medal went to Samele over Elsissy, 15-12. Of note, in the round of 32, Hungary’s Csanad Gemesi beat USA’s world champion Eli Dershwitz, 15-10, France’s Bolade Apithy won against Hungary’s world champion Andras Szatmari, 15-13, and Canada’s Fares Arfa defeated Hungary’s world and three-time Olympic champion Aron Szilagyi, 15-8.
"I listened to my coach, who told me to work hard”, said Oh. “I tried that and ended up coming in first place, and it’s an honour. I think that if it wasn’t this time, the next time would be difficult, because I would be older.”
The top eight includes the following fencers:
- Sanguk Oh (KOR, gold)
- Fares Ferjani (TUN, silver)
- Luigi Samele (ITA, bronze)
- Ziad Elsissy (EGY)
- Matyas Szabo (GER)
- Mohamed Amer (EGY)
- Chenpeng Shen (CHN)
- Fares Arfa (CAN)
The full schedule for Paris 2024 Olympic fencing may be found here.
Find official photos from this and other events on the FIE Facebook page.
Complete and official results for these events may be found here on the FIE web site.