33-year-old veteran Dong Chao, in the final battle of his career, made history for the Beijing fencing team! On September 22, the 14th Fencing Men's Epee Team Final was held at the Jizhou Sports Training Center in Tianjin, and Dong Chao, a veteran of the Beijing team, won the championship by defeating the Anhui team with the Olympic team, thus winning the first gold medal in the history of the Beijing Fencing Team.
Dong Chao (right) in a national games match. Courtesy of the Chinese Fencing Association
At the Tokyo Olympic Fencing Tournament at the end of July, Dong Chao and his teammates finished fourth in the men's epee team event and reached the round of 32 in the individual event. At the National Games, Dong Chao participated with the Chinese men's epee team under the name of the Olympic joint team. In the semi-final match against Liaoning, Dong Chao "sealed his throat with a sword" in the final set of competitions, helping the Olympic team win 26-25. In the final, Dong Chao and his teammates played well, beating Anhui 45-31 to win the gold medal of the National Games.
"This is my 4th time in the National Games, from before the start of the competition to the final, I have been holding my breath to achieve good results and win glory for Beijing!" Dong Chao said in an exclusive interview with a client reporter of Beijing Daily that at the Tianjin National Games 4 years ago, he and the Beijing men's epee team regrettably lost in the final, and this time the fencing competition of the National Games was temporarily adjusted to Tianjin, and he also successfully won the gold medal "sadly".
Dong Chao, a native of Beijing, has been practicing fencing since junior high school and has previously won several national championships in individual epee competitions and won the title with the Chinese men's epee team at the 2018 Asian Championships. Whether in the national team or the Beijing team, the 33-year-old Dong Chao is a veteran, he told reporters bluntly that it is not easy for him to persist until now, "After the Tianjin National Games, I plan to retire, but the coaches and teammates of the Beijing team, as well as my family, have always encouraged me, and I have finally gained from perseverance!" Dong Chao said that he will officially retire next, enter the Beijing fencing team as a coach, and continue to contribute to Beijing fencing with a new identity.
Dong Chao competed in the National Games. Courtesy of the Chinese Fencing Association
This year is a harvest year for Dong Chao, who not only participated in the Olympic Games for the first time in his career, but also won the gold medal for the first time at the National Games. Dong Chao said: "From the training before the start of the Olympic Games to the end of today's National Games, I have not been home for more than 3 months, and I especially want to meet my wife, children and parents as soon as possible and share my joy with them." ”
Xu Xiaodong, head coach of the Beijing Fencing Team, told reporters that Dong Chao's gold medal is of great significance, "This is the first National Games gold medal in the history of the Beijing Fencing Team, and the weight is too heavy!" It can drive the overall development of fencing in Beijing, inspire fencers and enthusiasts in Beijing, and make everyone more confident in the future! ”
Sun Yiwen won the women's epee gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, which made more people in China start to pay attention to fencing. Dong Chao and Xu Xiaodong both believe that although fencing is a niche sport, in recent years, with the improvement of China's economic development level, it has become more and more popular with people, Xu Xiaodong said: "There are more and more fencing clubs in the country, and after Sun Yiwen won the Olympic gold medal, I believe that the overall level and atmosphere of Fencing in China will continue to improve." ”