How did Oh Sang-uk win the men’s individual sabre gold at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games?

Oh beat Shen Chenpeng 15-13 in the final at Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname. He fell and held his right ankle after an early collision, but stayed in the bout and recovered to pull ahead again.

Why was Oh Sang-uk’s Asian Games victory notable for South Korea?

The win defended his Asian Games title and gave him a second straight individual sabre gold. The article also says he had won the team event in Hangzhou in 2023, showing continued success at the continental level.

What injury did Oh Sang-uk suffer during the Asian Games sabre final?

Oh suffered a right ankle injury from the start of the gold medal bout. He collided with his opponent, fell onto the piste, and later turned the ankle again before finishing the match and winning gold.

Asian Games Oh Sang-uk defends men's individual sabre fencing title at Asian Games

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Summary

South Korea's Oh Sang-uk won the gold medal in the men’s individual sabre fencing at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Tokoname, Japan on Wednesday, defending his title. The reigning Olympic champion beat Shen Chenpeng of China 15-13 in the final at Aichi Sky Expo. He injured his right ankle early in the bout but recovered to rally for the win.

Key Facts

It was Oh Sang-uk’s second straight Asian Games title in the men’s individual sabre event, after his gold in Hangzhou in 2023.
Bronze medals went to Artyom Sarkissyan of Kazakhstan and Seyed Ali Esmaeilzadeh Pakdaman of Iran.
Oh has won four world championship titles, including an individual crown in 2019.
He also won an individual Olympic gold medal in 2024 and team gold medals in 2020 and 2024.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 23, 2026 6:45 pm KST
Updated Sep 23, 2026 7:06 pm KST

Oh Sang-uk of South Korea holds up the South Korean flag after defeating Shen Chenpeng of China to win the gold medal in the men's sabre individual fencing final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, Tokoname, Japan, Sept. 23. Yonhap

TOKONAME, Japan—South Korea's Oh Sang-uk captured the gold medal in the men's individual sabre fencing at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Wednesday, defending his Asiad title.

Oh, the reigning Olympic champion, defeated Shen Chenpeng of China 15-13 in the gold medal bout at Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, some 35 kilometers south of the main host city of Nagoya.

It is his second straight Asian Games title in the individual sabre event, following his gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, where he also won the team event.

Bronze medals went to Artyom Sarkissyan of Kazakhstan and Seyed Ali Esmaeilzadeh Pakdaman of Iran.

South Korea's Oh Sang-uk, rignt, competes against China's Shen Chenpeng in the men's sabre individual final at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, Sept. 23. Ap-Yonhap

Oh is one of the most decorated fencers in men's sabre, a cutting and thrusting weapon that targets the body above the waist, including the arms and head.

He won an individual Olympic gold medal in 2024, and two team gold medals in 2020 and 2024.

He has collected four world championship titles, including an individual crown in 2019.

On the continental stage, Oh finished second in the individual event at the 2018 Asian Games and won gold at the 2023 competition. In the team event, he has won three Asian Games gold medals since the 2014 competition.

At the 2026 Asian Games, Oh's path to a second consecutive gold medal appeared to be going smoothly.

In the final, however, he suffered an ankle injury from the very start of the bout.

Right after the start of the first period, the two fencers collided, and Oh fell onto the piste, holding his right ankle for a while.

But Oh got back up and resumed the bout, ending the first period with an 8-7 lead.

In the second period, he fell behind 11-8 while turning his ankle a couple of times, but a big whip to his opponent's head gave him a decisive point and leveled the bout at 11-11.

From there, he rallied to reach 15 points and win the gold medal.

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