 |
|
Wuxi fencing athlete Xu Chengzi competes with South Korean athlete Choi In-jung in the final of the women's epee team match at the Jakarta - Palembang Asian Games at the Jakarta Convention Center in Jakarta, Indonesia on Aug 24. [Photo/IC] |
Wuxi fencing athlete Xu Chengzi shared in the country's 3rd gold medal in the Fencing Women's Epee Team event at the Asian Games 2018 in Jakarta, capital of Indonesia, on Aug 24 along with teammates Zhu Mingye, Sun Yiwen and Lin Sheng. The Chinese women's epee team had snatched the gold medal from the jaws of defeat in the 2018 World Fencing Championships held in Wuxi in July, beating South Korea 29-28 in the final match.
The South Korean women's epee team is very strong and experienced, having competed in the Olympics three times.
The young Chinese team was at a disadvantage until Xu came on as a substitute in round six. Xu scored four points to make it the second single winning round with the total score reaching 19-20.
Sun Yiwen, the only fencer to have taken part in the last Olympics, competed in the final round and helped the team to claim the Asia Games championship.
 |
|
China team members celebrate after defeating South Korea during their women's epee team finals fencing match at the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, Aug 24. [Photo/IC] |
The gold medal certainly gives the Chinese fencing team a shot in the arm. During an interview at the 2018 World Fencing Championships, Sun Yiwen, the leader of the Chinese women's epee team, told China Daily that team is young and still searching for its way.
"Though the result is not as satisfactory as last year when the team claimed silver at the 2017 championships, the bronze medal gives us much impetus especially when the team is still so young," said Sun in July.
Although according to Wang Haibin, chairman of the Chinese Fencing Association, the shortage of highly competitive fencers is still a major problem pestering China, Chinese fencing has shown its potential on the world stage.
 |
|
From left, Chinese team members Zhu Mingye, Sun Yiwen, Xu Chengzi, and Lin Sheng pose with their gold medals for women's epee team fencing at the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, Aug 24.[Photo/IC] |
