Kaylin Hsieh secures gold in women’s epee at World University Games

Hong Kong fencer Kaylin Hsieh Sin-yan on Friday clinched the city’s first gold medal at the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games after a thrilling victory in the women’s epee individual final.

The defending champion and world No. 7 showcased her resilience, overcoming Ukraine’s top contender in a nail-biting showdown that went down to the wire.

The final, held in the early hours of Friday (Hong Kong time), saw Hsieh start cautiously, trailing early before leveling the score at the end of the first bout. The second bout was equally intense, with both fencers locked at 5-5.

In the decisive third bout, neither athlete could break away, forcing a dramatic sudden-death decider at 8-8. Hsieh managed to seize the winning point, securing a 9-8 victory and successfully defending her title.

Her path to gold was anything but easy. In the quarterfinals, Hsieh faced a tough challenge against 18-year-old neutral athlete Taisiia Larkina, trailing 1-6 at one stage. Displaying remarkable composure, she clawed her way back to force overtime, eventually triumphing 12-11 in the final seconds. She then powered through the semifinals with a 10-8 win to book her place in the gold medal match.

The women’s epee event featured 100 competitors from around the world, with Hsieh emerging as the standout performer. Her victory not only marks a triumphant start for Hong Kong at the games but also highlights her growing dominance in the sport.

As a reward for her golden achievement, Hsieh will receive HK$500,000 under the "Jockey Club Athlete Incentive Awards Scheme."

The program offers cash prizes to Hong Kong athletes who medal at major games, with individual gold medalists earning HK$500,000, silver HK$250,000, and bronze HK$100,000.

(Marco Lam)