Fencing governing body rejects S. Korean appeal on disputed call

LONDON (Yonhap) -- The global governing body of fencing on Tuesday rejected South Korea's "groundless" appeal following a disputed conclusion to a women's epee contest the previous day at the London Olympics.

   In a statement, the International Fencing Federation (FIE) said its jury of appeal upheld the referee's decision to award the semifinal victory to Britta Heidemann of Germany over South Korean Shin A-lam Monday. Heidemann prevailed 6-5 with a clinching hit in the dying moments of the extra period. But South Koreans complained that the clock had stopped running with one second left as Shin fended off Heidemann's attack three times, and that the German's decisive hit came after the final second was up.

   Judges deliberated for almost half an hour before giving Heidemann the win. Shin, 25, staged a sit-down protest long after the match ended and later lost in the bronze medal bout.

   The FIE said its "Directoire Technique," which acts as the jury of appeal during the Olympics, reviewed South Korea's protest, and also checked the regulations and analyzed officials' testimony.

   "Consequently, the FIE ensured that a proper decision had been reached, respecting the FIE's rules and regulations," the statement read. "The Directoire Technique determined that the protest was groundless. It was thus rejected in its entirety."

   The FIE also noted that the referee's decision from the field of play is final, according to its rules.

   South Korea has already been at the center of two other high-profile judging controversies, involving freestyle swimmer Park Tae-hwan and judoka Cho Jun-ho.

   Park had a false disqualification ruling overturned in a span of hours on Saturday in the 400-meter freestyle race. In Cho's judo contest Sunday, referees initially awarded him the victory over a Japanese opponent before the International Judo Federation (IJF) intervened and overruled the flag decision on the field of play.