RIO DE JANEIRO - Park Sang-Young staged an incredible late rally to strike Olympic gold for South Korea on Tuesday with victory in the men's epee gold medal.
South Korea's Park Sangyoung celebrates winning against Hungary's Geza Imre in the men’s individual epee gold medal bout as part of the fencing event of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, on August 9, 2016, at the Carioca Arena 3
Park's hopes of becoming only the third Korean to win an individual fencing gold looked to be dead and buried as he trailed Hungary's Geza Imre 14-10 in the final.
But Park produced a remarkable run of five points to snatch victory 15-14 to leave Imre heartbroken after an agonizing defeat.
"The Olympics are one of the biggest sporting events in the whole world and I tried to take over his weaknesses," Park said. "It was impressive to win after being behind."
Park joins Kim Young-Ho, who won the men's foil in Sydney in 2000, and Kim Ji-Yeon, who triumphed in the saber in 2012, as the only fencers from Korea to win individual gold.
Imre was disconsolate after the defeat.
"I'm so sad. I was the winner up until eight-and-a-half minutes into the bout and in the last twenty seconds he beat me," Imre said. "I understand everything (why I lost) but I'm very sad."
"(Winning the) silver medal isn't bad, but I already have a silver medal from Athens 2004," he said. "I'm grateful for the silver but I was one touch away."
World number one Gauthier Grumier of France defeated Benjamin Steffen of Switzerland 15-11 to win the bronze medal.