Oh Sang-uk honors ex-teammates

Oh Sang-uk celebrates after successfully attacking Fares Ferjani of Tunisia during the men's sabre fencing final at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Saturday. (Yonhap)

South Korean fencer Oh Sang-uk made history at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Saturday by becoming the first South Korean to win the men’s sabre individual final.

But at the moment of victory, Oh's mind was not just on gold, but also on his two retired teammates who had shared so much of his journey with him.

"I grew up eating from the same pots with them, and their departure brought significant changes,” he said. "With the change in team members, we really faced a lot of setbacks and I lost confidence at times."

"I want to say that even if it wasn't me, someone else would have won the gold medal. I want to say that it was thanks to my older teammates. I want to thank the Tokyo team members," he said.

Together with Oh, Kim Jung-hwan and Kim Jun-ho, made up the gold medal-winning team at the Tokyo Olympics -- together nicknamed the "Afengers."

The team disbanded after the two Kims retired from the national team, but Oh will team up with Gu Bon-gil, Park Sang-won and Do Kyung-dong to vie for Korea's third consecutive Olympic victory in the men's sabre team event on July 31.

It's an event Oh says has even more meaning than the individual competition.

"The team event has a unique satisfaction where we overcome challenges together, and others can cover for any shortcomings, but the individual event is a solitary endeavor," he said.

Oh's victory over Tunisia's Fares Ferjani secured South Korea's first gold medal of the Paris Games on Saturday by defeating Tunisia's Fares Ferjani in the final.

Additionally, it completed an individual Grand Slam in international fencing, following Oh's victories at the World Championships, Asian Championships, and the Hangzhou Asian Games.

At 27 years old, Oh Sang-wook has nearly a decade of experience as a national team member. In December 2014, he became the first high school student to be selected for the South Korean sabre national team.

Standing at 192 centimeters, Oh combines great reach with speed and agility, winning honors from early on.

He began to make a name for himself by winning a bronze medal at his international debut at the Padua World Cup in Italy in February 2015.

In 2019, Oh asserted his dominance by winning two Grand Prix titles and securing gold in the individual event at the World Championships.

He was considered a strong contender for the individual gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, but was eliminated in the quarterfinals. In the run up to those games, his condition was affected by COVID-19, and he also faced unfortunate setbacks, including an ankle injury during the competition.

But over the next three years, Oh Sang-wook has continued to be the "ace" of the men's sabre team. He emerged as champion at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year, preventing his senior teammate, Gu Bon-gil, from achieving his fourth consecutive title in the final. Additionally, he secured another gold medal in the team event.

Having achieved the highest honor yet in his career, Oh’s next goal is modest.

"My older brother is planning to run a fencing club, and I want to help him and teach children. I am also seriously considering a career as a coach,” he said.

By Shin Ji-hye(shinjh@heraldcorp.com)