"Olympic champion struck with 37 seconds left!"... Republic of Korea's fencing teams beat Japan and China to reach the finals together in a stunning breakthrough [Nagoya Asian Games]

[Financial News]  The Republic of Korea's fencing teams showcased their status as Asia's strongest by reaching the men's and women's finals together. The men's épée team toppled an Olympic champion after a nerve-racking sudden-death overtime bout on home soil in Japan, while the women's sabre team overwhelmed formidable China to secure at least silver medals for both teams.
The Republic of Korea men's épée team, comprising Park Sang-young and Jang Hyo-min of Ulsan Metropolitan City Hall, Nam Yeon-ho of Korea National Sport University, and Kwon Oh-min of the Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps, defeated archrivals Japan 38–37 in the team-event semifinal at the 2026 Asian Games held at Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on the 27th to advance to the final.
It marked the men's épée team's return to the final for the first time in 12 years. The team won the 2014 Incheon Games but settled for consecutive bronze medals at the 2018 Jakarta and 2022 Hangzhou Games.
The Korea-Japan semifinal for a place in the final was a battle to the finish. After receiving a bye in the round of 32 and defeating Uzbekistan 45–33 in the round of 16 and China 45–36 in the quarterfinals, the Republic of Korea faced Japan, the Paris Olympic silver medalist, in a closely contested match. Park Sang-young turned an early 7–10 deficit into a 13–11 lead, and the team widened the gap to 25–17 in the fifth bout before allowing Japan to tie the score at 34–34 in the eighth.
In the ninth and final bout, Jang Hyo-min conceded two straight points to Koki Kano, the individual-event and Olympic gold medalist, putting the Republic of Korea in danger of defeat. Jang then responded with two consecutive points to tie the score at 36–36 and force overtime. With 37 seconds remaining in the overtime period, he landed a dramatic decisive hit to complete the 38–37 comeback. The men's épée team will face Kazakhstan for the gold medal at 6:40 p.m.

The women's sabre team also delivered a rousing victory on the piste. Jeon Ha-young of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Kim Jeong-mi and Seo Ji-yeon of Ansan City Hall, and Choi Se-bin of Daejeon Metropolitan City Hall defeated China 45–29 in the semifinal to reach the final.
After receiving a bye in the round of 16 and defeating Hong Kong 45–28 in the quarterfinals, the Republic of Korea dominated China. Jeon Ha-young, who had suffered the disappointment of being eliminated in the individual event's quarterfinals, gave the team an early advantage with a 5–1 score in the first bout and widened the lead to 25–16 in the fifth, spearheading the commanding victory.
The women's sabre team, seeking to reclaim the title for the first time in eight years since the 2018 Games, will face the winner of Japan's match against Uzbekistan in the much-anticipated final at 7:40 p.m.
[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter