▲ South Korea's Kim Jung-hwan (R) competes against Italy's Luigi Samele in the semifinals of the men's sabre individual fencing at Makuhari Messe Hall B in Chiba, east of Tokyo, at the Tokyo Olympics on July 24, 2021. (Yonhap)

(Olympics) S Korea-fencing bronze

(Olympics) S. Korean Kim Jung-hwan wins fencing bronze in men's sabre

CHIBA, Japan, July 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korean fencer Kim Jung-hwan took the bronze medal in the men's individual sabre at the Tokyo Olympics Saturday.

Kim defeated Sandro Bazadze of Georgia 15-11 in the bronze medal contest at Makuhari Messe Hall B in Chiba, east of Tokyo, earning South Korea's first medal in fencing here.

The victory was also a measure of revenge for the South Korean team, as Bazadze knocked off South Korean Oh Sang-uk in the quarter finals.

It is Kim's second Olympic bronze in the discipline, following the one at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. He was also a member of the gold medal-winning team at the 2012 London Games.

Earlier in the day, Kim lost to Italy's Luigi Samele 15-12 in the semifinals. The South Korean fencer gained a 12-6 lead in the second quarter but lost nine straight points as Samele advanced to the finals.

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