South Korean fencing star Song Se-ra captured her first individual Asian Games gold medal Tuesday, defeating Singapore’s Kiria Tikanah in the women’s epee final at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
Song, ranked No. 3 in the world, beat Tikanah 15-8 at Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, Aichi prefecture, giving South Korea its sixth gold medal of the Games.
The 33-year-old entered the competition as a two-time individual world champion, having won the women’s epee title at the 2022 and 2026 World Championships, but had yet to win an individual gold medal at either the Asian Games or Olympics.
At the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, Song settled for silver after losing to compatriot Choi In-jeong in the final. She later reached the quarterfinals of the women’s individual epee event at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Tuesday’s victory also extended South Korea’s dominance in the Asian Games women’s individual epee event, with a Korean fencer winning gold at three consecutive editions. Kang Young-mi took the title at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games, followed by Choi in Hangzhou.
Song’s path to the gold medal featured a pair of dramatic comeback victories.
In the quarterfinals, she edged China’s Tang Junyao 15-14 after trailing 13-12 late in the bout.
Song then staged another comeback in the semifinals against Japan’s Tamaki Terayama. Trailing 14-13 and one point away from elimination, she scored the final two touches to secure another 15-14 victory and advance to the final.
Against Tikanah, Song was locked in a close contest through the middle stages before taking control in the third period with five consecutive points. She went on to seal the 15-8 victory, spreading her arms in celebration after landing the championship-winning touch.
Song’s victory marked South Korea’s sixth gold medal of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, following titles in the women’s individual and men’s team modern pentathlon events, men’s singles teqball, men’s basketball and the men’s 50-meter freestyle in swimming.
mkjung@heraldcorp.com
