Egorian and Sangyoung strike gold in nail-biting Olympic Finals

Egorian beat world number one and compatriot Sofya Velikaya 15-14 to win Olympic gold medal in the women’s individual sabre, whilst Sangyoung also beat world champion Geza Imre by the same scoreline in the men’s individual epee.

In the women’s sabre, there was the first all-Russian final since Atlanta 1996, world number five Egorian trailed Velikaya for most of the bout, but incredibly fought back to draw level at 14-14, before a final lunge and touch was enough to take gold, her first senior Olympic medal.

22-year-old Egorian had previously won two titles this season at the Seoul Grand Prix and a World Cup stage in Orleans, France, and was a gold medal winner at the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in 2010.

For 31-year-old Velikaya however it was a second consecutive silver, as the world and European champion was beaten in the London 2012 final by Korea’s Kim Jiyeon, who was eliminated this time around in the table of 16 by world number 26, Loreta Gulotta of Italy, by a score of 15-13.

Two-time world champion Olga Kharlan of Ukraine retained her bronze medal from the London Games, beating France’s world junior silver medallist Manon Brunet 15-10. Brunet had earlier accounted for world number four, Anna Marton of Hungary in the last 16 thanks to a 15-12 scoreline.

Two-time Olympic champion Mariel Zagunis of the USA lost to Russia’s Ekaterina Dyachenko 15-13 also at the last 16 stage, whilst world number six, Shen Chen of China, was beaten 15-9 in the table of 32 by Poland’s Malgorzata Kozaczuk.

The men’s epee was also a final which went right down to the wire as Park Sangyoung came from four points behind to beat world champion Geza Imre of Hungary 15-14.

Fighting an opponent more than twice his age, the world number 21 ranked fencer Park appeared to be overawed and was on the brink of defeat at 14-10.

But a sensational comeback saw the Korean claim an outstanding victory, denying Imre what would have been an incredible Olympic gold.

It completed a fantastic competition for Sangyoung as he had also beaten world number two Enrico Garozzo of Italy on the way to the Final, by a score of 15-12 in the table of 16 round.

With the silver, Imre, who was competing in his fifth Olympics, has the distinction of being fencing’s oldest individual medallist since 1952, having also won Olympic silver with Hungary in the team event in Athens 2004.

The bronze medal was won by world number one Gauthier Grumier of France who fought off a courageous comeback from world number 13, Benjamin Steffen of Switzerland to win by a score of 15-11. Steffen had earlier beaten European champion and world number five, Yannick Borel of France, in the quarterfinals 15-10 and the world number four Bogdan Nikishin 15-14 in the last 16.

Defending champion Ruben Limardo Gascon of Venezuela lost to world number 17 Ayman Fayez of Eygpt 15-5 in the second round, whilst world number six, Daniel Jerent of France, was eliminated in round two at the hands of another Venezuelan, Francisco Limardo, by a 15-14 scoreline.