Sabres' End King Oh Sang-wook SKT Grand Prix Resolution Olympics, no new motivation, no pressure for the home game

Apr 30, 2025

Oh Sang-wook and Fares Perjani

answer Jeon Ha-young

'Sabre End King' Oh Sang-wook (Daejeon Metropolitan City Hall) and the men's and women's new and old Avengers (Avengers + Fencing) expressed their determination for the SK Telecom International Grand Prix Championship.

The Korea Fencing Association will hold the 2025 SK Telecom International Grand Prix Championship at SK Handball Stadium in Olympic Park, Seoul from the 2nd to the 4th. The Grand Prix is a prestigious competition where the highest ranking points are given after the Olympics and the World Championships, and SK Telecom has hosted the Sabre Grand Prix since 2015. More than 300 athletes from 40 countries will participate in this year's competition to compete for their skills.

South Korea, the host country, will feature 40 men and women, starting with Oh Sang-wook, the gold medalist of the Paris Olympics and world No. 1, veteran Koo Bon-gil (Korea Sports Promotion Foundation), Park Sang-won (Daejeon City Hall), the world No. 5 and Jeon Ha-young (Seoul City Hall).

Oh Sang-wook, who showed off his strong performance earlier this year by winning the gold medal at the Plovdiv World Cup in Bulgaria, the 'return match', later ranked fifth in the Padua World Cup and the Budapest World Cup. Park Sang-won of Daejeon City Hall also won her first individual gold medal at the Tunis Grand Prix, her first competition this year, while Ha Young of the women's sabre jumped to No. 2 in the world by winning her first individual gold medal at this season's International Fencing Federation Algeria Orang World Cup in November last year and the French Orléans Grand Prix in December. Aces from all over the world, including Paris Olympic silver medalist Pares Perjani (No. 3 in Tunisia), world No. 2 Sebastian Patrice (France), and women's sabre No. 1 Emura Sasaki, will participate in this competition.

Oh Sang-wook, who attended the Media Day held at the Olympic Parktel in Songpa-gu, Seoul on the 30th, said, `I've been trying to find another motivation in my system since the Olympics. I'm not currently in the national team, but this competition came out with the heart of a representative player," he said, strengthening his determination.

After winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics, Oh did not compete in international competitions to recover from his injury and recharge, but won the gold medal upon his return through the Plovdiv World Cup in Bulgaria earlier this year. He remains No. 1 in the world by winning the bronze medal at the Padua World Cup in Italy and fifth place at the Budapest World Cup in Hungary. Regarding consistently maintaining the world's No. 1 ranking "In fact, I think I'm maintaining it because there aren't many games. I would be so happy if I could win first place even after losing the gold medal score at the Paris Olympics," he said, expressing his humble feelings.

After the Paris Olympics, Oh Sang-wook trained and focused at his team's Daejeon City Hall instead of the national team, and became more confident in fencing by appearing in entertainment. "I've never thought about why I'm doing it while I'm continuing to exercise, but I've been thinking about that these days. Being out there, I thought it was right to keep exercising, and I found motivation." Asked about appearing on entertainment shows, etc., "I was unfaithful, but life outside didn't suit me. I loved working out, eating and sleeping," he said with a smile.

answer Koo Bon-gil

SK Telecom International Grand Free Media Day

In the SKT Grand Prix, Perjani, who faced off in the men's sabre final at the Paris Olympics, will also participate. Oh Sang-wook, who sat side by side with Perjani at the Media Day site, said "I'm smiling next to him now, but I'm checking very much" If I meet him at this competition, I'd like to meet him at the podium. Even if we meet quickly, it is meaningful to play against this player." "Perjani is a smart player. I won in Paris, but I think I can always lose", he complimented his opponent. Perjani added "It's always a happy thing to run with OH. Three years ago, Oh Sang-wook told me 'You are an athlete who can win enough medals at the Olympics' I was grateful to be able to play the 'Beautiful Game' with Oh Sang-wook in the final of the Paris Olympics and climb the podium together" expressed his feelings. "Oh Sang-wook is a dynamic player. I'm physically inferior, but I'll do everything I can. I'm looking forward to meeting you in this competition," he said with a big smile.

Oh Sang-wook, who is trying to win his third home Grand Prix after 2019 and 2023, said "There is no pressure to be held at home. It's the same in any country. If you do it comfortably, you will get good grades." Koo Bon-gil, who is away from the national team with Oh Sang-wook, "I have never won a Grand Prix in Korea. I have a desire for a medal, but I hope I can help my juniors even though I work hard in the game. I'll do my best to get rid of the burden of home turf" expressed his determination.

The team atmosphere has risen a lot since the Olympics. Personally, I've prepared really hard for this tournament, and I think I have to do well as a top ranker. "I want to do my best on the podium every season. " Ha Yong-young and Choi Se-bin, who collaborated for the first-ever Olympic team silver medal in Paris, also expressed their clear determination. The world's second-ranked Jeon Ha-young said, `Mental and technological advancement has taken a step further. That confidence has a positive impact when you go to a World Cup or a Grand Prix"My goal is to get on the podium" he said with his eyes shining.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.