Oh Sang-uk wins gold in men's individual sabre fencing

Oh Sang-uk captured the gold medal in the men's individual sabre fencing at the Paris Summer Games on Saturday, giving South Korea its first gold of this year's Olympics.

Oh, world No. 4, defeated 14th-ranked Fares Ferjani of Tunisia by 15-11 in the gold medal bout at Grand Palais in Paris, a match he mostly dominated despite the closer-than-it-should-have-been final score.

Oh, 27, became the first South Korean man to win an individual sabre gold. His former teammate, Kim Jung-hwan, had won two bronze medals in the discipline.

Oh's was South Korea's third medal Saturday, the first day of the medal race following the opening ceremony.

South Korea has now won a gold medal on the first day of every Summer Olympics since 2008.

He has now won an individual gold medal in all four major competitions for Asian fencers: the Olympics, the Asian Games, the world championships and the Asian championships.

Oh was part of a gold medal-winning team at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and will try to repeat the feat in Paris on Wednesday.

Oh and Ferjani were knotted at 3-3 before the South Korean went on a 5-1 run to close out the first period. Oh then scored three quick hits to open up an 11-4 lead and promptly moved within a point of the gold medal at 14-5.

Ferjani made things a little more interesting, earning six straight points, including a couple of them on a close call following video reviews.

But Oh left no doubt on his gold medal-clinching point, and Ferjani, who had looked helpless earlier in the match, conceded defeat.

Oh's victory gave South Korea another fond memory at Grand Palais. In November 2010, Oh's national team coach, Won Woo-young, won the men's individual sabre title at the world championships at Grand Palais, making him the first Asian fencer to do so. And his prized pupil made history of his own with the Olympic gold Saturday. (Yonhap)