Latest news with #KokiKano


The Mainichi
a day ago
- Sport
- The Mainichi
Fencing: Olympic gold medalist Kano wins Japan 1st world epee title
TBILISI (Kyodo) -- Olympic gold medal-winning fencer Koki Kano became Japan's first epee world champion with a 10-9 overtime win against Hungary's Gergely Siklosi in Sunday's final in Tbilisi. A year after claiming Japan's first individual Olympic gold in the sport in Paris, Kano etched his name in history again after edging his fellow 27-year-old in the Georgian capital in a rematch of the Summer Games' team final decider won by the Hungarian. "I'm happy to have got another 'first-ever' (title for the country)," Kano said. The Japanese fencer went on the offensive in the sudden-death overtime, reversing tactics from their previous encounter, and scored the decisive point with a thrust to his opponent's chest. "I was intent on launching the attack first," he said. Kano beat compatriots Akira Komata and Masaru Yamada in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively, en route to his championship. "I felt my body was moving significantly well from the first round and managed to continue through to the final," said Kano, who has not felt any dip in his motivation since his Olympics triumph. "I always feel my efforts have paid off whenever I compete and win tournaments in the sport I love. I want to win even more medals." Nikita Koshman of Ukraine won the bronze along with Yamada. In the women's sabre, two-time reigning champion Misaki Emura of Japan went out in the third round.


Kyodo News
a day ago
- Sport
- Kyodo News
Fencing: Olympic gold medalist Kano wins Japan 1st world epee title
TBILISI - Olympic gold medal-winning fencer Koki Kano became Japan's first epee world champion with a 10-9 overtime win against Hungary's Gergely Siklosi in Sunday's final in Tbilisi. A year after claiming Japan's first individual Olympic gold in the sport in Paris, Kano etched his name in history again after edging his fellow 27-year-old in the Georgian capital in a rematch of the Summer Games' team final decider won by the Hungarian. "I'm happy to have got another 'first-ever' (title for the country)," Kano said. The Japanese fencer went on the offensive in the sudden-death overtime, reversing tactics from their previous encounter, and scored the decisive point with a thrust to his opponent's chest. "I was intent on launching the attack first," he said. Kano beat compatriots Akira Komata and Masaru Yamada in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively, en route to his championship. "I felt my body was moving significantly well from the first round and managed to continue through to the final," said Kano, who has not felt any dip in his motivation since his Olympics triumph. "I always feel my efforts have paid off whenever I compete and win tournaments in the sport I love. I want to win even more medals." Nikita Koshman of Ukraine won the bronze along with Yamada. In the women's sabre, two-time reigning champion Misaki Emura of Japan went out in the third round.


France 24
2 days ago
- Sport
- France 24
Russia's Egorian wins world fencing gold as neutral athlete
Egorian defeated Poland's Zuzanna Cieslar 15-11 in the final in the Georgian capital. The 31-year-old, who won both the individual and team titles at the 2016 Rio Olympics, won her first world championship individual gold medal. Egorian is among the Russian and Belarusian fencers allowed to compete under a neutral banner, despite being a member of CSKA Moscow, a club historically linked to the Russian military. On Sunday, dozens of demonstrators gathered in front of the Olympic Palace in Tbilisi to protest at the participation of fencers from both countries, some of whom "are military personnel", protesters told the Interpressnews agency. In July, the International Fencing Federation (IFF) decided to simplify its procedure for granting Neutral Individual Athlete (NIA) status, allowing the return of certain fencers who had been excluded from competition following the Kremlin's Ukraine offensive. That decision sparked debate both before and during the world championships. In the other final of the day, Japan's Koki Kano, Olympic epee champion in Paris, won the title, defeating Hungary's Gergely Siklosi.