ID :
15833
Thu, 08/14/2008 - 09:44
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/15833
The shortlink copeid
Olympics: Japanese fencer Ota wins men's foil silver
BEIJING, Aug. 13 Kyodo - Japan's long medal drought in Olympic fencing came to an end Wednesday after Yuki Ota won the men's foil silver medal with impressive performances against the world's best at the Beijing Games.
Ota eliminated Germany's world No. 1 Peter Joppich 15-12 in the quarterfinals and edged out Athens silver medalist Salvatore Sanzo 15-14 in the semis en route to a matchup in the final with 2007 world bronze medalist Benjamin PhilipKleibrink of Germany.
In the final, Ota lacked the sharpness he showed on his way to the final and allowed Kleibrink to score five consecutive touches in a 15-9 defeat at FencingHall at the National Convention Center.
Even with the loss, Ota, ninth four years ago in Athens on his Olympic debut, became the first-ever Japanese fencer to win an Olympic medal. At the 1964 Tokyo Games, the Japanese men's foil team finished fourth for the country'sprevious best finish in Olympic fencing.
Chieko Sugawara became the first Japanese to make the quarterfinals of an individual event earlier at the Beijing Games and finished seventh in thewomen's foil.
A native in Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, Ota became the youngest national foil champion in 2002 as a 17-year-old. He has since made his mark on the international stage and won a World Cup foil event in 2004 in the lead-up tohis Asian Games triumph in December 2006.
Ota eliminated Germany's world No. 1 Peter Joppich 15-12 in the quarterfinals and edged out Athens silver medalist Salvatore Sanzo 15-14 in the semis en route to a matchup in the final with 2007 world bronze medalist Benjamin PhilipKleibrink of Germany.
In the final, Ota lacked the sharpness he showed on his way to the final and allowed Kleibrink to score five consecutive touches in a 15-9 defeat at FencingHall at the National Convention Center.
Even with the loss, Ota, ninth four years ago in Athens on his Olympic debut, became the first-ever Japanese fencer to win an Olympic medal. At the 1964 Tokyo Games, the Japanese men's foil team finished fourth for the country'sprevious best finish in Olympic fencing.
Chieko Sugawara became the first Japanese to make the quarterfinals of an individual event earlier at the Beijing Games and finished seventh in thewomen's foil.
A native in Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, Ota became the youngest national foil champion in 2002 as a 17-year-old. He has since made his mark on the international stage and won a World Cup foil event in 2004 in the lead-up tohis Asian Games triumph in December 2006.
