A fencing semifinal at the Olympics ended in drama Monday after South Korean coaches appealed a decision that left their fencer in tears on the fencing floor.
After losing 6-5 in overtime to Germany’s Britta Heidemann, A Lam Shin sat weeping on the floor for over 15 minutes on live television as officials judged the appeal.
An announcer at the arena said that the decision could take “quite some time” and that it had been delayed by rules requiring a monetary deposit to be paid to lodge an appeal, prompting jeers from the crowd.
The nature of the appeal was not specified, but it appears to relate to timekeeping.
A was the underdog in the individual epee fight against reigning Olympic champion Heidemann, who also won a team silver medal in Athens in 2004.
Ukraine's Yana Shemyakina awaits the winner of the semifinal in the gold medal match, while the loser will face China's Yujie Sun in the bronze medal match.
