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Chinese Fencers Overcome European Swordswomen
Chinese Fencers Overcome European Swordswomen
China's top epee fencer Yang Shaoqi Sunday showed her dominance in the women's individual epee competition at the 21st World University Games.
After frustrating ninth-ranked Sherraine Schalm of Canada 15-12, Russia's Lioubov 15-11 and her teammate Li Na 10-9, Yang stepped into the final of the competition at Beijing Shijingshan Gymnasium.
Yang almost reigned the final bout with Ukraine's fledgling Anna Garina and led an effortless victory 15-11.
Yang, who is now ranked 19th by the International Fencing Competition, said that she had had full of confidence since reaching semi-finals.
She showed her strong will in the competition straight, which was similar to what she did in Sydney Olympics team epee fencing. Yang got her international reputation after winning a bronze medal in that Olympics.
Together with Yang, Li, bronze medalist of the universiade, also challenged powerful European fencers in the competition.
The 20-year-old Li successively unthroned Estonia's Irina Zamkovaj and Italy's Elisabetta Castrucci.
While the Chinese women showing their teeth at the Universiade, those outstanding swordswomen in European and American countries were not in forms.
Russia's Tatiana Logunova, who is ranked third in the world, ninth-ranked Sherraine Schalm of Canada, 14th Diana Romagnolitakouk of Switzerland, 18th Evceidis Ortiz Puentes of Cuba and 22nd Andrea Rentmeister of Austria all lost their games in the second round of individual epee.
"I'm satisfied with the great performance made by my fellow fencers in women's individual epee," said Wang Hengman, coach of China's national team.
The Chinese fencers, led by Yang who got the individual epee title of the Fencing World Cup in 2001, are able to fight any world-leading swordswomen, Wang said.
China hopes its epee team, consisting of Yang, Li, Zhong Weiping and Shen Weiwei, to win title of the team competition on August 29, he said.
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