Milan 2023 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS | Japan v China | Men's Foil Fencing Team | 中国 v 日本 フェンシング 花剑击剑

Gold Medal bout of the 2023 Milan World Championships Men's Foil Team between Japan and China.

On the Left - Japan
Since Russia has been banned from competing, Japan has been making the semifinals of events more often - most often losing both bouts to come forth. Since the end of the previous season, 2022 Junior World Champion and 2022 Senior Belgrade Grand Prix Bronze Medalist, IIMURA Kazuki has replaced SAITO Toshiya for most team events. SUZUMURA Kenta is also now in the top 4 again.

After the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, French foil legend (including defeating Japan and winning Gold at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics) Erwan LE PECHOUX has become the Head Coach of the Men's Foil Programme for Team Japan. He coached IIMURA to win the Junior World Championships and Bronze at the 2022 Belgrade Grand Prix, and Kyosuke MATSUYAMA to win his first World Cup earlier this season in Bonn. Perhaps most impressively, Japan won its first Gold in the Men's Foil category earlier this season at the 2023 Cairo World Cup.

At Milan 2023, MATSUYAMA won a Bronze in the Men's Foil Individual Event. Japan made the Finals by defeating Korea in the Quarterfinals, and Hong Kong in the Semifinals.

On the Right - China
China had a strong Men's Foil Team - back in 2016. In fact, China won the Men's Foil Team event at both the Paris 2010 and Catania 2011 World Championships, then won Silver at the 2014 Kazan World Championships. However, since 2016, LEI Sheng, MA Jianfei, and CHEN Haiwei all retired, China has struggled to perform to the same standard ever since.

In 2019, CHEN Haiwei returned, but was unable to fence at the same level as he did back in 2016. However, recently the team has been doing better. In 2018, HUANG Menkai won the Individual Asian Games (then never did anything again). This year, MO Ziwei won Individual Gold at the Asian Championships. In terms of team performances, China upset France at the 2022 CIP World Cup, but achieved little other performances. In fact, this might be the first medal that China won as a team on the world stage since 2016.

At Milan 2023, China defeated France in the Quarterfinals, and USA in the Semifinals.

Team JAPAN
SHIKINE Takahiro 敷根 崇裕
MATSUYAMA Kyosuke 松山 恭助
IIMURA Kazuki 太田 雄貴 2.0
SUZUMURA Kenta 鈴村健太 (R)

Team CHINA
XU Jie
CHEN Haiwei
MO Ziwei
WU Bin (R)

0:00 Introduction
2:26 (1/9) SHIKINE v MO
6:26 (2/9) IIMURA v CHEN
15:04 (3/9) MATSUYAMA v XU
22:38 (4/9) IIMURA v WU
30:11 (5/9) SHIKINE v XU
36:07 (5/9) MATSUYAMA v CHEN
40:30 (7/9) IIMURA v XU
46:44 (8/9) MATSUYAMA v MO
1:00:09 (9/9) SHIKINE v CHEN