NEW DELHI: The fencing competition at the Paris Games witnessed a series of unexpected upsets on Monday, as both reigning world number ones in men’s foil and women’s sabre were eliminated before the quarter-final stage.
Japan’s Misaki Emura, the two-time reigning world champion in women’s sabre, suffered a surprising 15-7 defeat against South Korea’s Choi Se-bin, ranked 24th in the world, in the round of 16.
Emura, visibly disappointed, acknowledged her subpar performance, attributing it to a lack of mental and physical preparedness. “Today the way I fenced was not my fencing and I’m very sad, upset, because I didn’t do my best. Everything: mind, body, tactics were not enough. I can do more. I think I had to train more, I was not a champion, not strong today. I feel very sorry for my supporters,” said Emura.
Emura’s early exit paves the way for France’s top-ranked Sara Balzer, who secured her place in the semi-finals. Balzer will face a formidable opponent in Ukraine’s Olga Kharlan for a spot in the final.
In another semi-final matchup, Choi will cross blades with Balzer’s compatriot, Manon Apithy-Brunet, who advanced after a closely contested 15-14 victory against Greece’s Theodora Gkoutoura.
The men’s foil competition saw an equally dramatic upset as Italy’s Tommaso Marini, the 2023 world champion, fell to a stunning 15-14 defeat against France’s Maxime Pauty.
Despite holding a commanding 10-2 lead, Marini was unable to withstand Pauty’s remarkable comeback.
Pauty’s impressive run was halted in the quarter-finals by Japan’s Kazuki Iimura, who emerged victorious with a narrow 15-14 scoreline. Iimura will now face the reigning Olympic champion, Cheung Ka-long of Hong Kong, in the semi-finals.
Cheung secured his place in the penultimate round after a tense 15-14 victory over France’s Enzo Lefort, ranked sixth in the world.
With the early exits of their top contenders in men’s foil, French hopes for a gold medal now rest solely on their women’s sabre team, who remain strong contenders for a podium finish.
Japan’s Misaki Emura, the two-time reigning world champion in women’s sabre, suffered a surprising 15-7 defeat against South Korea’s Choi Se-bin, ranked 24th in the world, in the round of 16.
Emura, visibly disappointed, acknowledged her subpar performance, attributing it to a lack of mental and physical preparedness. “Today the way I fenced was not my fencing and I’m very sad, upset, because I didn’t do my best. Everything: mind, body, tactics were not enough. I can do more. I think I had to train more, I was not a champion, not strong today. I feel very sorry for my supporters,” said Emura.
Emura’s early exit paves the way for France’s top-ranked Sara Balzer, who secured her place in the semi-finals. Balzer will face a formidable opponent in Ukraine’s Olga Kharlan for a spot in the final.
Expand
The men’s foil competition saw an equally dramatic upset as Italy’s Tommaso Marini, the 2023 world champion, fell to a stunning 15-14 defeat against France’s Maxime Pauty.
Despite holding a commanding 10-2 lead, Marini was unable to withstand Pauty’s remarkable comeback.
Pauty’s impressive run was halted in the quarter-finals by Japan’s Kazuki Iimura, who emerged victorious with a narrow 15-14 scoreline. Iimura will now face the reigning Olympic champion, Cheung Ka-long of Hong Kong, in the semi-finals.
Cheung secured his place in the penultimate round after a tense 15-14 victory over France’s Enzo Lefort, ranked sixth in the world.
With the early exits of their top contenders in men’s foil, French hopes for a gold medal now rest solely on their women’s sabre team, who remain strong contenders for a podium finish.
Credit: Source link