🇰🇷 KOREAN MEN’S SABRE SQUAD CLIMBS BACK TO THE TOP IN SALT LAKE CITY
Updated: Aug 5
SALT LAKE CITY, USA — 25 JANUARY 2026
The seventh-seeded Korean Men’s Sabre team captured their first World Cup title of the season, overcoming a resilient American side in the final of the Salt Lake City World Cup. The victory marks a triumphant weekend for the squad, led by individual champion Oh Sanguk, who left Utah with two gold medals.
The USA secured the silver medal, marking their first team podium of the campaign. In a tournament defined by razor-thin margins, Poland claimed an historic bronze—their first medal of the season—while the season-opening winners France fell just short of the podium in fourth place.
Path to the Podium
Korea (Do Gyeongdong, Lim Jaeyoon, Oh Sanguk, and Park Sangwon) proved to be the masters of the "clutch" performance. After a steady 45-38 win over Germany and a 45-42 quarter-final victory over second seeds Hungary, they faced a nerve-shredding semi-final against Poland. Trailing 40-36 entering the final bout, Oh Sanguk produced a heroic 9-4 leg to snatch a 45-44 victory. In the final against the USA, the Koreans maintained a slim but consistent advantage to secure the gold 45-40.
The USA (Ben Avram, C. Heathcock, Lukashenko, and Morrill) reached the final on the back of a sensational 45-43 semi-final win over France. Trailing 40-39 in the final leg, Colin Heathcock out-dueled Sebastien Patrice 6-3 to ignite the home crowd and secure the silver medal—the young American squad's best result of the season.
Poland (Denkiewicz, Hryciuk, Kaczkowski, and Stasiak) emerged as the tournament’s most exciting underdog. Seeded eleventh, they upset World number 6 Japan (45-43) and World number 3 Italy (45-44) just to reach the semi-finals. After their one-touch loss to Korea, they faced France for bronze in a match featuring the most dramatic comeback of the day.
The bronze play-off saw France lead comfortably 30-25 after six bouts. However, Poland's Benedikt Denkiewicz turned the match on its head in the seventh leg, winning 10-4 to take a 35-34 lead. Though France briefly regained the advantage 40-37, Szymon Hryciuk delivered the final blow in the anchor leg, securing a 45-44 win and the bronze medal for Poland.
France (Garrigue, JP Patrice, Pianfetti, and S Patrice) dominated their early matches, including 45-26 and 45-35 wins, but were left empty-handed after two consecutive 45-44 losses in the medal rounds.
