Wiping Away the 'Tears of Paris' with Golden Touches: Song Se-ra Ends Asian Games Individual-Event Drought [Nagoya AG]

[Financial News] Song Se-ra (Busan Metropolitan City Hall), the undisputed ace of South Korea's women's épée team, has finally broken free from the punishing multisport-event jinx that had long held her back. Despite ruling the top of the world rankings after dominating the World Championships, she had been forced to swallow bitter tears at the Asian Games and Olympics. In Nagoya, she was rewarded with a flawless golden touch on the piste.
Song Se-ra comfortably defeated Kiriya Tikana of Singapore, 15-8, in the women's individual épée final at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture, on the 22nd. She stood atop the podium.
With the victory, Song Se-ra delivered the fencing team's first gold medal of the Games. She also became the sixth Korean athlete to win gold, following competitors in modern pentathlon, teqball, basketball and swimming.

For Song Se-ra, the 'world No. 3,' this gold medal means far more than simply finishing first. She is unquestionably Asia's strongest fencer and one of the world's elite after winning two titles at the 2022 Cairo World Championships and four Asian Championships gold medals. Yet an individual gold medal at a multisport event had remained beyond her reach.
In the individual final at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, she lost to senior national-team teammate Choi In-jeong and settled for silver, accepting the role of a fine supporting actor who illuminated her senior's 'last dance.' Even at the 2024 Summer Olympics (Paris 2024), where she competed as the undisputed ace, she was left in tears after the shocking result of being eliminated in the round of 16. Winning an individual title at a multisport event was the one missing piece in her glittering career, a destiny she had to overcome.


After her bitter failure in Paris, Song Se-ra put even more fierce determination into the hand gripping her sword. The self-reproach of collapsing on the Olympic stage after reaching the top of the world pushed her to the brink, but instead of giving in, she reset her footwork. She broke through her limits with brutal physical training and repeatedly practiced mental conditioning hundreds of times to erase the psychological anxiety that had shaken her in one-point bouts, quietly setting her sights on Nagoya.
The journey to break the jinx was difficult, as expected. After going 6-0 in the pool rounds and advancing directly to the round of 16, Song Se-ra edged China's Tang Junyao, 15-14, in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, the biggest hurdle, she faced Japan's Terayama Tamaki with the home crowd fully behind her opponent. Trailing 13-14 on the brink of defeat, Song produced dramatic consecutive touches to complete another 15-14 comeback. 

The final, by contrast, showcased her overwhelming superiority. She fell behind after conceding the first two points to Tikana, but swiftly seized control by scoring three straight with exquisite touches launched from her trademark low stance. With the score tied at 6-6, Song exploited a slight opening to add two more points. At the pivotal 8-7 juncture, she scored consecutively to reach double digits first at 10 points. Pressing relentlessly as Tikana lost momentum, Song landed the 15th touch, removed her mask and smiled broadly, finally washing away the hardships she had endured.
Song Se-ra's valuable gold medal is expected to create significant momentum for the entire fencing team, going beyond her personal glory. Having watched their ace make a perfect comeback, her teammates are already determined to produce another 'golden touch' in the men's and women's team events that follow. Song Se-ra, too, will step onto the team-event piste with a lighter heart as she targets a new chapter in history: winning two gold medals at the Games.
[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter