Canadian fencer Arfa falls in quarterfinal after stunning upset over defending champ

Hungary's Aron Szilagyi, left, and Canada's Fares Arfa compete in the men's individual Sabre round of 32 competition during the 2024 Summer Olympics at the Grand Palais, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Paris, France. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Andrew Medichini

Canadian fencer Fares Arfa was narrowly defeated in the men's individual sabre quarterfinal on Saturday, hours after beating the three-time defending Olympic champion.

Arfa, making his Olympic debut, was defeated 15-13 by South Korea’s Oh Sang-uk.

Sang-uk is ranked fourth in the world, while Arfa ranks No. 35.

Earlier on Saturday, Arfa posted a stunning 15-8 upset over Aron Szilagyi, the three-time gold medallist from Hungary.

“I’m in a bit of shock right now, so I’m not even disappointed or angry at myself yet," Szilagyi said after the loss. "It happened so fast, and I’ve never thought that my individual competition here in Paris would be so short.

"It’s really a shock. It’s like my opponent read me. I was an open book to him. In every touch, what he wanted, it happened. All his parries worked, all his attacks landed."

"It was as if he’d been the three-time Olympic champion, and I was some kind of first-time Olympian," he added.

The win over Szilagyi sent Arfa to the round of 16, where he defeated France’s Bolade Apithy, also 15-8.

The 29-year-old Arfa, who was born in Algeria, hails from Laval, Que.

He has competed at the last two Pan American Games and was part of Canada's championship men's sabre team at the 2023 Santiago Games.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 27, 2024.