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PAGE 10 • AUGUST 14, 2011 CHINA DAILY FENCING A pointed lesson for Xu YOUNG CHINESE FENCER BATTLES NERVES IN EDUCATIONAL LOSS TO AMERICAN By ZHANG CHUNMEI “I had never met Courtney CHINA DAILY before. I knew nothing about her skill and tempo. My skill was better SHENZHEN — A sad and disap- than her’s, but when she suddenly pointed Xu Anqi, 19, left the strip changed her tempo, I could not fi nd after losing 15-14 to Courtney a way to break her defense,” said Xu. Hurley of the United States in the Xu emerged on the international round-of-32 of the women’s epee stage with a stunning victory at individual event at the exhibition the 2007 World Cup. Th e 15-year- center in Shenzhen on Saturday. old fencer managed to overpower Xu, a rising Chinese fencing star, the 2000 and 2004 Russian Olym- started poorly and was unable to pic squad’s gold medalist, Oxana GAO ERQIANG / CHINA DAILY grab the lead against her foe. She Ermakova. Xu Anqi from China (left) competes against Courtney Hurley of the US in the round-of-32 in the women’s cried aft er losing her match against “That was my first time at a epee individual event at the Shenzhen Universiade on Saturday. Xu lost 15-14. Japan in the fi nal bout of the wom- senior competition. Five national en’s epee group competition at the team members went to play oth- a local sports school in Nanjing gold medal in 2006, when she was I think an excellent fencer should 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games. er events, and that gave me my came to pick fencers from the bas- only 14. know how to attack rivals. When She ran from reporters aft er that chance. I did not even know my ketball team. Xu was chosen, and She made the national team in I stand on the strip, I always tell event. rival’s name, but I was so excited began a life of practicing fencing 2009, and reached the quarterfi - myself that the winner must be Th is time, she regained her com- about the victory,” said Xu. and studying. nals of the World Championships. me,” said Xu. posure, smiled and was willing to However, fencing was not her Th at local sports school spawned It seemed like a smooth road to After yesterday’s encounter, she be interviewed. original sport of choice. Her father Luan Jujie, the fi rst Chinese athlete success for the young fencer, before rested for half an hour and then went “The Asian Games was some- played basketball and her mother to win a gold medal in fencing - at she lost in the team competition at to watch other fencers perform. thing of a nightmare for me. I was was a track athlete. the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. “I the Asian Games. “I think I am more mature now extremely nervous; it was like stand- “I was very tall from childhood. hope I can be as outstanding as my It is hard to find any anger or than I was at the Asian Games. I ing at boiling point. I was so eager to People said that it was a pity if I did predecessors,” said Xu. menace on the young lady’s face. can adjust my mood to all condi- win for my team. It was so impor- not become a model or an athlete, Th e youngster made rapid prog- She always smiles sweetly. But tions. I have trained harder than tant, and I fi nally collapsed,” Xu said. so I entered the school’s basketball ress at the sport’s school. She easily when she wears the mask and many others since childhood. I am She overcame that disappoint- team as a point guard,” said Xu. beat her peers and challenged the holds the epee, she shows great ready to accept all the challenges ment and looked to restart her While in grade 5 at primary seniors. She attended the Jiangsu maturity and calm. and diffi culties before I hopefully career at the Universiade. school, a fencing coach from Provincial Games and claimed the “My biggest advantage is attack. earn a ticket to London next year.” South Korea’s rising star ready to face archrival China BY ZHANG CHUNMEI Th e South Korean men’s sabre events at the 2006 and 2008 Junior CHINA DAILY team is always China’s strongest World Fencing Championships, rival in Asia. The competition and then was selected to the South SHENZHEN — South Korea’s ris- between them is becoming fi ercer Korea national team. ing young fencer Gu Bon-gil failed as the London Olympics draw He won the title at the 2010 Asian to secure his country’s fi rst fencing nearer. Championships, and defeated gold medal at the Shenzhen Uni- “Gu has the power to control the Zhong Man, a Chinese fencer who versiade on Saturday. distance between himself and his won gold at the 2008 Beijing Olym- Gu, the gold medalist at the 2010 opponent,” He said after losing to pics, in the fi nal bout at the 2010 Asian Championships and the 2010 Gu. “He lures me into entering his Guangzhou Asian Games. Guangzhou Asian Games, beat range and suddenly attacks me. I did “Gu is young and fast. I have not China’s He Wei 15-9 in the semifi - not control my footwork very well. competed against him very oft en,” nal, but was trounced by Ukraine’s Th is is the beauty of fencing.” said Zhong. “I did not expect him Andriy Yagodka 11-15 in the gold Th e 21-year-old Gu came into to be so exciting and daring on the medal match of the men’s sabre the spotlight in his youth. People strip. You can hardly stick to your individual at the Exhibition Center. saw him as the successor to Oh tactics.” Gu currently occupies third Eun-seok, a South Korean sabre Gu has shouldered the responsi- place in the men’s sabre world fencer who won a bronze medal bility of leading the national team’s rankings released by the Inter- in the 2007 World Fencing Cham- defense of its standing at the Uni- GAO ERQIANG / CHINA DAILY national Fencing Federation, but pionships. versiade, a challenge that may help “China has sent a strong squad Gu Bon-gil,of South Korea, shown Yagodka, who is ranked 45th in the Gu began to learn fencing in him to mature. to the Universiade. We are ready after his loss in the individual world, took the Universiade men’s junior middle school in 2003. He South Korea faces China in two to win the squad sabre gold medal sabre fi nal, will lead his team sabre individual title. won gold in the sabre individual days’ time. on August 16,” He said. against China in two days’ time..