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SCMP Sport

Fencing is set to make its 12th Asian Games appearance in Hangzhou, after the sport’s debut in the 1974 Tehran Games.
The sport has seen a steady rise in popularity in Hong Kong. The city won its first Olympic fencing medal two years ago in Tokyo, when Cheung Ka-long claimed gold in the men’s individual foil – only Hong Kong’s second Olympic champion in any discipline.
Fencing at the Asian Games 2023
The Asian Games fencing events take place from September 24 until September 29 at the Hangzhou Dianzi University Gymnasium, where athletes will compete for 12 gold medals.
Hong Kong athletes had won a total of 29 fencing medals before the 2023 edition, but none of them gold. China had the most fencing medals with 124, including 47 gold.




There are three weapons used in fencing: foil, sabre and épée, with each discipline being featured at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
Scoring in team fencing
Teams of three take part in nine individual bouts, with each fencer facing each of the opposing team once.
Bouts last three minutes, with the winners being the first team to reach 45 points or, if neither team do, the ones with the most points at the end of the ninth bout.

In the case of a tie, two fencers will be randomly selected to enter a sudden-death round, where the first to land a touch seals the team win.
Scoring in individual fencing
During individual competitions, a bout’s winner is the first fencer to reach a score of 15 touches, with each touch being worth a single point.
The bout is at most nine minutes and is subdivided into three equal periods, with minute-long breaks in between. If neither fencer reaches 15 points by the end of the allotted time, the one with the most points wins.
If the scores are level, the referee conducts a draw between the two fencers, before they head into one minute of sudden death, in which the fencer to score the first touch is the winner. If neither fencer scores, the winner is determined by the referee’s draw.
Touches with the blade: foil, sabre, épée
For foil and épée, touches only count with the tip of the blade, while sabre allows the fencer to use the tip, the front edge or the bottom third of the back edge.
Target areas: foil, sabre, épée
Sabre bouts count touches that land from the top of the head to the bend of the hips, both front and back.
During foil bouts, a touch is scored only when landing between the shoulders and groin, front or back, while the arms, head and legs are not counted.

In a rule specific to foil matches, the bout is stopped if a fencer touches their opponent outside the target area, resulting in a white light (rather than the usual green and red lights indicating which fencer collected a point) to indicate no points are awarded.
Conversely, the entire body is considered the target area for épée, including the head and feet.
Right of way: foil, sabre, épée
If two fencers touch at the same time in foil or sabre, the referee must award a point based on the “right of way”, a rule determining which fencer gets priority.
Épée does not use the right-of-way rule.


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Asian Games 2023

Asian Games 2023: how do you score in fencing, and what’s the difference between foil, sabre and épée?

Fencers will compete for 12 gold medals at the Asian Games in Hangzhou. Photo: FIE

A fencer wins an individual bout by reaching 15 points or, if neither does, by having the most points. Photo: Xinhua

Épée is the only discipline where fencers can score by touching any part of the opponent’s body. Photo: AFP

World University Games: Hong Kong’s fencing star Cheung Ka-long secures second gold with men’s team foil victory

(From left) Aaron Lee Yat-long, Ryan Choi Chun-yin, Cheung Ka-long and Lawrence Ng Lok-wang showing off their men’s team gold medal after the ceremony. Photo: USFHK

Cheung Ka-long makes his signature celebration pose after winning men’s foil individual gold in Chengdu. Photo: USFHK

Hong Kong’s Kaylin Hsieh Sin-yan celebrates during the fencing women’s epee individual gold medal bout against Sara Maria Kowalczyk of Italy. Photo: Xinhua

Road to Paris 2024: Hong Kong and China to fight it out for spot at Olympic Games in women’s fencing

Vivian Kong (left) takes on Mara Navarria of Italy in the team epee. Photo: FIE

Fencing World Championships: Vivian Kong wins battle of Hong Kong with Kaylin Hsieh, but misses medal and loses world No 1 ranking

Vivian Kong shares a moment with fellow Hongkonger Kaylin Hsieh after defeating her in Milan. Photo: AFP

Vivian Kong in her match against Maria Martinez in Milan. Photo: FIE

Sport

China

There are 12 medal events taking place at the Games in Hangzhou, with Hong Kong’s Cheung Ka-long among those taking part
The rules vary between the three categories of foil, sabre and épée, for instance on which parts of an opponent’s body you can score points


The sport has seen a steady rise in popularity in Hong Kong, with the city winning its first Olympic fencing medal two years ago when Cheung Ka-long claimed gold in the men’s foil.


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Explainer

Explainer | Asian Games 2023: how do you score in fencing, and what’s the difference between foil, sabre and épée?

There are 12 medal events taking place at the Games in Hangzhou, with Hong Kong’s Cheung Ka-long among those taking part The rules vary between the three categories of foil, sabre and épée, for instance on which parts of an opponent’s body you can score points

Fencing at the Asian Games 2023

Scoring in team fencing

There are 12 medal events taking place at the Games in Hangzhou, with Hong Kong’s Cheung Ka-long among those taking part

The rules vary between the three categories of foil, sabre and épée, for instance on which parts of an opponent’s body you can score points