Yoon Ji-Ji (Seoul Metropolitan Government) won gold in the women’s sabre individual event at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games.
Yoon defeated Yao Yachi (CHN) 15-10 in the final of the women’s sabre individual event on Saturday at the Electronics University Gymnasium in Hangzhou, China.
Yoon, a member of the winning women’s sabre team at Incheon 2014 and Jakarta-Palembang 2018, won her first individual gold medal at the Asian Games.
A bronze medalist in the women’s sabre team event at Tokyo 2021, Yoon is also known as the daughter of KBO talent donor Yoon Hak-gil, who was an ace for the Lotte Giants in the Korean Baseball Organization during his playing days.
South Korea has collected a medal at all six Asian Games where the women’s individual sabre event has been held, with four winners.
Lee Shin-mi in Busan in 2002, Kim Hye-rim in Guangzhou in 2010, and Lee Ir-jin in Incheon in 2014, with Yoon Ji-soo returning to gold after a nine-year absence.
Kim Ji-yeon, who became the first Korean women’s fencer to win an individual Olympic gold medal at the London 2012 Games, has never won an individual Asian Games title. Kim, who hung up her flag in April, has a silver medal from Incheon and a bronze from Jakarta.
In her first match of the tournament, the Korean faced Paola Pliego (Uzbekistan) in the round of 16, and after falling behind 3-7 early on, Yoon turned the tide with her trademark drive, scoring back-to-back points at 12-14 to get over the first hurdle.
In the quarterfinals, she breezed to a 15-6 victory over Juliette Hung (SINGAPORE) to secure a medal.
Her semifinal against Zaina Daibekova (Uzbekistan), whom she had defeated in the round of 16 at the Tokyo Olympics and in the final of the Asian Championships in June, was no easier.
In a seesaw game that saw the lead change hands several times, she won 15-14 with a single point to book her place in the final.
After breaking the Dyabekova jinx to reach the final, Yoon Ji-soo, backed by her home fans, took a commanding 8-2 lead in the first round and never relinquished it.
Korean fencers ended the individual competition at the Hangzhou Asian Games with three gold, two silver and one bronze medal.
Oh Sang-wook (Daejeon Metropolitan Government) and Koo Bon-gil (Korea Sports Promotion Organization) won the men’s sabre, while Choi In-jung (Gyeryong City Hall) and Song Sera (Busan Metropolitan Government) shared the gold and silver medals in the women’s epee.
Yoon Ji-soo added a gold medal on the same day, while Hong Se-na (Ansan City Hall) took bronze in the women’s flechette.
The men’s and women’s epée, fleur de lys and sabre team competitions will follow on Sept. 27-29.
Korea will attempt to defend its titles in the men’s and women’s sabre and men’s flechette. 스포츠토토