Women's Sabre Defeats Japan to Win Asian Games Team Gold for the First Time in Eight Years [Nagoya AG]

[Financial News] South Korea's women's sabre team reclaimed the top spot at the Asian Games for the first time in eight years, presenting the South Korean delegation with its 20th gold medal.
The women's sabre team, comprising Jeon Ha-young (Seoul Metropolitan Government), Kim Jeong-mi, Seo Ji-yeon (both of Ansan City Hall) and Choi Se-bin (Daejeon Metropolitan City Hall), defeated host nation Japan 45-31 in the team-event final at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture, on the 27th.
The result ended the disappointment of the bronze medal at the 2023 Hangzhou Games. After winning consecutive titles at the 2014 Incheon and 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games, South Korea's women's sabre team reclaimed its status as Asia's strongest after eight years.

The team made a spectacular comeback in the team event after ace Jeon Ha-young was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the individual event and failed to win a medal, marking the first time since she began competing at the Asian Games that she had gone without an individual women's sabre medal.
South Korea gained momentum with a 45-28 quarterfinal victory over Hong Kong, then comfortably defeated China 45-29 in the semifinals to reach the final.
South Korea seized the initiative in the final as well. Choi Se-bin, the first fencer on the piste, opened with a 5-2 lead over Japan's star fencer, Misaki Emura. Jeon Ha-young and Seo Ji-yeon then extended the gap in turn, before Choi Se-bin firmly took control by pushing the score to 20-12 in the fourth round.
A setback came in the seventh round when veteran Seo Ji-yeon withdrew with an injury, but substitute Kim Jeong-mi calmly protected the lead. Jeon Ha-young took the piste for the decisive ninth and final round and sealed the 45-31 victory with the final point against Emura.


Earlier that day, Jang Hyomin, Park Sang-young (both of Ulsan Metropolitan City Hall), Nam Yeon-ho (Korea National Sport University) and Ohmin Kwon (Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps) lost 42-43 to Kazakhstan in a closely contested men's épée team final that went into overtime, settling for silver.
South Korean fencing completed its Asian Games campaign with four gold, four silver and two bronze medals. By winning medals in every team event, the squad demonstrated its strength and confirmed its status as one of Asia's best. 

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