China outshone South Korea in fencing as they collected first two gold medals Sunday in Gongseo Stadium.
The Sydney Olympic silver medallist Wang Haibin, smashed the host's hope to win the first gold medal of the Games by defeating South Korea Kim Sang-hun 15-11 to take the men's foil title, also the first gold medal for the Chinese delegation. His teammate Wu Hanxing took the bronze after defeating Sydney Olympic champion Kim Yong-ho.
Before this, China's men's epee fencers Wang Lei and Zhao Gang presented an equal achievement by securing the title with their separate semi-final victories in the event which has been traditionally dominated by Koreans.
In the following final, Zhao, who entered the Sydney Olympics last eight, defeated Wang to take the gold. The bronze went to Sergey Shabalin from Kazhakistan.
"We finally can raise our heads," said 31-year-old Zhao who sent out Ku Kyo-dong, the bronze medal winner in last month's World Championships, in the semi-finals.
China's epee fencers were pressed hard by Koreans in the past two years, but Zhao, also the coach for Liaoning Provincial team, wanted to prove their true power.
"I always believed that we could beat them," Zhao said, exhausted but highly spirited. "We proved it today."
Ku, the hot favorite for the title before the match, was unable to catch up with more experienced Zhao, only a bronze medallist four years ago in Bangkok Asiad, who came out of retirement only two months earlier.
Speedy but defensively strong Zhao fought back successfully several times against Ku who looked timid after failing his first attack attempt every time.
"I have prepared for this match carefully and I found his weak point as he launched his attack," Zhao said. "I think I followed the right strategy, and it worked."
His coach, Zhao Lizhong, who trained him since childhood, thought highly of his pupil.
"He really made good use of his experience," said the coach. "He just proved his strength."
The gold is a total surprise for the team which only set their sight on the foil gold before the match.
"I did not want to give it up," said Zhao. "The Koreans have a huge advantage because they are playing on home soil."
But Zhao is reluctant to predict the same outstanding outcome for the men's epee team on October 1st.
"The Korean team is still very strong, frankly speaking, stronger than us," Zhao said.
"China's victory is an upset for them so they will fight hardly in the following games."
If Zhao Gang's victory means a surprise, Wang's one is something living up to the expectation.
Wang,, the defending champion, wanted the gold so eagerly to erase his sorrow loss in the Sydney Olympics in the men's foil team to France.
"The last title match is so hard for me," he said. "But I am glad that I can get through it."
Wang had to overcome his bad-temper at the match which cost him punishing for two points during the see-sawing match.
"I have to complaint to keep my spirit high," he said of his temper. "Sometimes it is necessary to do that."
In basketball matches, the Koreas are likely to come together on the basketball court on Thursday thanks to DPRK's 85-64 triumph over the United Arab Emirates yesterday.
South Korea will play DPRK on Thursday in their first quarterfinal round game if form holds in today's final preliminary games, where South Korea is favored to beat Japan and the Philippines is favored over DPRK.
Japan routed Mongolia 125-75 and Hong Kong ousted Kuwait 77-57, ending Kuwaiti dreams 3 1/2 hours before the Games official opening.
Chinese Taipei beat Qatar 71-61, scoring the final 12 points after squandering an 11-point edge in the fourth quarter.
Qatar could have advanced with a victory but must now await today's Kazakhstan- Chinese Taipei result to learn their fate.
(China Daily September 30, 2002)
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