By Juliette Jabkhiro
PARIS (Reuters) -It was an evening for France. After three days of intense cheering for the local fencers, the Grand Palais crowd finally got the Olympic gold medal it craved in women’s sabre at the Paris Games on Monday – and a silver one for good measure.
Manon Apithy-Brunet, a bronze medallist in Tokyo, won 15-12 in a final bout that left countrywoman Sara Balzer, the 2023 world champion, with a silver medal.
In freshly-crowned Apithy-Brunet, France has found a new fencing queen to fit the fancy setting of the event.
She made history as the first French fencer to win an Olympic title in women’s saber, and the first in women’s fencing overall since ‘grande dame’ Laura Flessel won gold in women’s epee in Atlanta in 1996.
“It’s just a dream, I really don’t realize. It’s like, Olympic champion, me? I’m just dreaming now,” Apithy-Brunet told reporters.
“For me, we won gold together,” she said of Balzer. “Of course she has the silver medal and it’s different, but it’s France that won.”
French coach Mathieu Gourdain said: “It was a possibility that they would both be in the final, but I hadn’t prepared for it. It’s hard because you know that at the end, there is one that loses.
“Two medals in Paris, the most beautiful medals,” said Gourdain. “What more can I ask for?”
Though Balzer entered the piste looking determined and focused and scored first, Apithy-Brunet quickly took over and was leading until victory, in a twist from earlier bouts throughout the day.
“I’m very happy for her, fencing like she did and to win is exceptional, and I respect her work and efforts to reach this goal,” said Balzer.
“The public, the noise, the atmosphere, and this magnificent Grand Palais – I will have many good memories.”
Before the finals, a cold-blooded yet fiery Balzer breezed through all the rounds, taking out veteran Olympian and champion Olga Kharlan of Ukraine 15-7 in less than two minutes in the semi-finals.
Kharlan went on to claim bronze, Ukraine’s first medal of the Paris Games.
Apithy-Brunet had a more challenging day, qualifying for the semi-finals with a disputed and contentious 15-14 win against Greece’s Theodora Gkoutoura.
Yet she celebrated every win with an expansive joy, jumping and dancing. After snatching gold, an elated Apithy-Brunet kissed her partner on the piste.
“Manon is naturally spontaneous and Sara is maybe more structured, reasoned. Two quite different personnalities,” said Gourdain.
The whole French staff quickly convened a joint celebration, draping the two medallists in blue, white and red and making them jump in the air.
Defending champion Cheung Ka-long of Hong Kong retained his title in men’s foil, beating first-time Olympian Filippo Macchi of Italy 15-14 in a disputed bout.
Nick Itkin of the United States took bronze.
(Reporting by Juliette Jabkhiro; Additional reporting by Vincent Daheron; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
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