Home   >   News   >   U.S.   >   Just six months into fencing, young Korean Americans see victory

Just six months into fencing, young Korean Americans see victory

August 21, 2015
PENTA Olympic Fencing Club Head Coach Lee Young-chan, third from left, with young fencers Justin Oh, Vincent Park and Timothy Lee.

PENTA Olympic Fencing Club Head Coach Lee Young-chan, third from left, with young fencers Justin Oh, Vincent Park and Timothy Lee.

By The Korea Times Washington DC staff

A team of Korean American amateur fencers near Washington, D.C., saw wins at a competition just six months into the sport.

Young fencers of Fairfax, Virginia-based PENTA Olympic Fencing Club picked up one gold, one silver and two bronzes at New West Regional Youth Circuit Region 6, which opened Aug. 14 to 16 in Columbia, Maryland.

The competition drew young fencers from 12 states, including Virginia, Maryland, Tennessee, South Carolina, Atlanta and Florida.

Winners included Timothy Lee, 12, who won gold in men’s épée; Faith Park, 12, silver in women’s épée; Ian Park, 10, bronze in men’s épée; and Justin Oh, 12, bronze in men’s épée.

PENTA was started late last year by head coach Lee Young-chan, a former South Korean Olympic fencer who was awarded a Presidential Medal in 2009 for his service to sports.

“Because these are students started fencing recently and because it was their first competition, I wasn’t expecting big results, so I’m very proud of them,” Lee said.