🥳 China’s women’s saber team has made a spectacular comeback by clinching the gold medal at the International Fencing Federation (FIE) World Cup in Heraklion, Greece. This victory marks their first triumph at the tournament since 2011!
The team, featuring seasoned fencer 26-year-old Fu Ying and three dynamic athletes born in the 2000s – Rao Xueyi, Zhang Xinyi, and Wei Jiayi – displayed incredible skill and determination throughout the competition. After a first-round bye, China swiftly defeated Italy 45-36, followed by tough matches against the 2024 Paris Olympic champions Ukraine and silver medalists South Korea, both with scores of 45-40, securing their spot in the finals.
The final showdown against France was nothing short of thrilling. Fu Ying established an early lead, but the match turned into a nail-biting duel. With just one point needed in the final bout, 20-year-old Rao Xueyi delivered a stunning comeback, scoring four consecutive points to seal a 45-42 victory for China.
"I'm very happy to win the championship. We faced tough opponents today, but we didn't give up. Regardless of being ahead or behind, we approached each point with seriousness," said Rao, who also won individual gold at the Budapest Junior World Cup earlier this season and anchored China’s Asian Championship team title in 2024. 🥋
Fu Ying added, "We executed our preparations perfectly today. This gold reflects our collective dedication in training." This is Fu’s maiden world title, adding to her impressive career.
Zhang Xinyi, another key member of the 2024 Asian champions team, reached the quarterfinals at the Plovdiv World Cup in January. Meanwhile, substitute Wei Jiayi, 21, earned her spot in the senior training squad after winning last season’s Junior World Cup individual title in Segovia, Spain.
The team's resurgence comes after the appointment of French coach Cyril Verbrackel, who took over following some frustrating results at the Paris Olympics. At 40, Cyril has a rich history of leading teams to success, including a team silver at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Congratulations to the incredible team for their hard work and dedication! 🎉
Reference(s):
China win women's saber team title at FIE World Cup in Heraklion
cgtn.com
