China will be looking to win its second Olympic gold medal in fencing at the Beijing Games, 24 years after Luan Jujie won the women's foil in Los Angeles.
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Tan Xue won the gold medal in saber at the 2002 World Championships. [Xinhua] |
China has won five silver medals and one bronze since 1984, including three silvers at the 2004 Games.
China's medal chances in the team competition looked slim after the men's foil and women's epee events were dropped from the Beijing Games. China won two Olympic silver medals in the men's foil and the 2006 World Championship in women's epee.
However, China's saber specialists have been working with legendary French coach Christian Bauer and have enjoyed considerable success since Athens. They raised more than a few eyebrows by winning the women's saber event at the Tianjin Grand Prix two months ago.
In Beijing, the Chinese will be performing in front of a home crowd, which often pays dividends in fencing.
Also, a video refereeing system will be introduced this year in hopes of avoiding questionable calls, which are believed to have cost China several gold medals in past Games.
Leading the charge for China will be Tan Xue, who became China's first world champion in 2002, winning the women's sabre title at the World Championships in Lisbon. She settled for silver at the Athens Games, losing to Mariel Zagunis of the United States in the final.
Troubled by injury, Tan struggled after the 2004 Games but came back strongly last year with the help of Bauer, winning five World Cup titles and a silver at the World Championships.
"I have been improving every day since Christian came here," said Tan, 24, during a recent training session. "I try to stay calm and not think about the gold medal. I am just competing with myself to bring out the best form in competition."
Tan will face a powerful trio from the US, including top-ranked Sada Jacobson, 2006 world champion Rebecca Ward, and Athens gold medalist Mariel Zagunis.
Li Na, currently ranked No 1 in the world in women's epee, is another good bet to medal in Beijing.
On the men's side, 2006 world champion Wang Lei is hoping to improve on the silver medal he won in Athens. Less than an hour after Tan's loss, Wang unexpectedly reached the final but lost to Marcel Fischer of Switzerland.
Fischer did not qualify for the Beijing Games but Wang will face a talented field, including top-ranked Silvio Fernandez of Venezuela and 2007 world champion Krisztian Kulcsar of Hungary.
(China Daily August 7, 2008)