Japan’s men’s foil team made history on Sunday, becoming the first non-European nation to top the podium in the event. They defeated Italy 45-36 in the final to claim the nation’s second fencing gold in France and fifth medal in total. That’s more than the country managed in its entire fencing history at the Olympics prior to the Paris Games.
The final was a topsy-turvy encounter until the final couple of legs. Kazuki Iimura, Takahiro Shikine and Kyosuke Matsuyama gave Japan a slight lead after the first three bouts. Italy hit back in the fourth and fifth legs, before Japan restored the lead in the sixth. The Asian side eventually pulled away in the eighth thanks to a commanding performance from substitute Yudai Nagano. Iimura then got the team over the line, scoring the final touch of the match against Tommaso Marini.
“My teammates did well to pass the baton on to me and I just felt I had to finish the job. We were able to draw strength from the fans here in Paris and people cheering us on back home in the middle of the night,” said Iimura.
“This is like a dream to be honest, and I still can’t believe it, but I think our patient work has come to fruition,” added Nagano.
“I believed we had the quality to win the gold medal. There was pressure to get a team medal for the third day in a row, and I am really pleased that we were able to get it,” reflected Shikine.
“It’s been physically and mentally hard for us with many ups and downs, but nobody tried to escape from reality and that is reflected in the result today. I am really proud of all of us,” commented Matsuyama.
Hideki Matsuyama (Photo by Stan Badz/PGA TOUR)
Japan women’s sabre team picked up a bronze after defeating host nation France on Saturday. Ukraine took home the gold, beating South Korea in the final. Japan’s mixed judo team had to settle for silver after controversially losing their final to France.
The nation’s other three medals this weekend were all bronze. After leading for much of the competition, Hideki Matsuyama finished behind America’s Scottie Scheffler and Britain’s Tommy Fleetwood in the men’s golf tournament. In women’s table-tennis, Hina Hayata defeated Shin Yu-bin of South Korea in the bronze medal match. Chiharu Shida and Nami Matsuyama, meanwhile, beat Malaysian pair Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan in the badminton women’s doubles bronze medal match.
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