China women's saber team ends 14-year World Cup gold drought in Heraklion

HERAKLION, Greece -- China's women's saber team clinched gold at the FIE World Cup here on Sunday, marking their first triumph in the event since 2011.

With a young squad featuring 26-year-old Fu Ying and three promising athletes born in the 2000s - Rao Xueyi, Zhang Xinyi, and Wei Jiayi - the Chinese team showcased its skill and determination throughout the tournament. After a first-round bye, China eased past Italy 45-36 and then edged Paris Olympic champion Ukraine and silver medalist South Korea both 45-40 to reach the final.

In the title showdown against France, Fu established an early lead before the match evolved into a nail-biting duel. Trailing one point entering the final bout, 20-year-old Rao staged a stunning comeback by scoring four consecutive points to seal a 45-42 victory.

"I'm very happy to win the championship. We faced tough opponents today, but we didn't give up. Regardless of being ahead or behind, we approached each point with seriousness," said Rao, who earlier this season claimed individual gold at the Budapest Junior World Cup. The rising star also anchored China's Asian Championship team title in 2024.

"We executed our preparations perfectly today. This gold reflects our collective dedication in training," said Fu, who celebrated her maiden world title.

Zhang, another member of the 2024 Asian champion team, reached the quarterfinals at January's Plovdiv World Cup. Substitute Wei, 21, earned a spot in the senior training squad after winning last season's Segovia Junior World Cup individual title.

The team's resurgence follows the appointment of French coach Cyril Verbrackel following frustrating results at the Paris Olympics. The 40-year-old had previously led French teams to multiple successes, including a team silver at the Tokyo Olympics.