Cheung Ka-long 🆚 Daniele Garozzo | Men's individual foil | Gold Medal Bout | #Tokyo2020

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome the fencers and referees for the gold medal bout of the men's foil individual competition. Well there he is, the Olympic champion, Daniele Garozzo, the 28 year old Italian, a tough quarter-final fight against Enzo Lefort, the world champion, beating him and making it through to this final. Could that have been his toughest match, his toughest opponent? Well this is the most important bout of this Olympic Games, it is the gold medal bout. Hong Kong, China, fourth in the Rio Olympics, has gone much further this time, beating Alessio Ficconi in the table of 16, the world champ from 2018, so probably the toughest fight until this one. He now faces the Rio Olympic gold medalist. Both athletes starting on a clean sheet as they battle it out to become Olympic champion. Refereeing this match, the referee is just heading out onto the piece now, Florian Jorge from Romania, he'll be joined on the video by Natalie Zerebla from the Russian Olympic Committee. Well, history being made by Chunkar Longforth at the last Olympics, he is now Hong Kong's first ever men's foilist to get an Olympic medal guaranteed at least silver. Daniele Garrozzo is trying to do something that hasn't been done since the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Christian Virola of France defended the title that he won in Helsinki in 1952 in Melbourne in 56, and no man has done it since then. Daniele Garrozzo has put himself in with a chance of doing it by making this final. A hugely entertaining battle is about to commence. Chung had the better of Alex Shupinich of the Czech Republic in their semi-final match. Garrozzo, well, stormed through Shikine. The first job of the day is straightening the blade. Garrozzo convinced that Chunkar Long looked for the blade in the middle of that attack. Garrozzo having been here before, he's going to be feeling confident in his position. The tactics that Chung played in the semi-final, closing the distance, keeping it close against Shupinich, I don't think will work against Garrozzo. Garrozzo is so good in close quarters. Gregory Koenig there calling the shots for Hong Kong, originally from France, but has been coaching the team throughout Olympic qualification. He's going to be first to get a point on the board. This is a patient game at the moment between these two fencers. No one risking making a mistake. Well, counter-block worked that time. They look pretty calm, both Garrozzo and coach Fabio Galli. I wonder if that's a freebie and they're going to try and force that out. Look at straight away, the reaction is there. An instant reply coming to the other side, the other line to hit here. First time he went on to the outside. This time he fainted to the outside and come back into the chest and look, finger pointing at Galli. Yes, you got it right, coach, but so did I. I executed what you told me to do. And now faint disengaged. The more classic one, righty against lefty body, forcing the cart parry and then a round to finish on the seaside. Looks so simple when you see it in slow-mo. I know it's anything but. Attack right. Another one for Garrozzo. And the one thing you can't do against Danny Garrozzo is let him get away at the beginning. He's just too good. Well, it looked as though he had a slow start to this bout and now he's finding his groove. What can Chung answer to this Olympic champion? Can he stop him repeating his Rio performance? At this rate, it's looking like the Italian is rightly the favourite. And in close quarters, not going to beat Danny Garrozzo very often. And look, the thing about this in close quarters is that Chung's not going for the hit. He's literally just looking to defend himself. Danny Garrozzo creates too many good angles when in close quarters and he won't back away. And Chung's stuck. Attack on preparation there. Went looking for the blade, did the Olympic champion. Lovely attack. A little bit of a stutter in the middle to make Garrozzo stop moving backwards. He thinks he's safe, but oh no, there comes the end of the attack. Forward momentum continued, but it was the staccato nature of that attack from Chung that made it work. Blocks out Garrozzo's attack and an athlete from Hong Kong, China back on the attack, hitting off target. Now, look at that. Chung Ka Long stays in close and hits with a counterattack, closing the distance to avoid getting hit himself. Well, it had looked like Chung was on the defensive, but getting those points, piling them up and back for a piece. Garrozzo's adapted again, but that's attack left and Chung Ka Long goes in to the lead. It's incredible how quickly this match can just turn around. Garrozzo with the experience, but that is not intimidating Chung one bit. Garrozzo building the pressure. What can Chung answer? Chung has gone back to keeping close distance, but this time he's not closing in quite as often as he is. So the variety is what's making Garrozzo have a think about this one. Lovely little stop here, or it's a counter with a block as he runs away. And Koenig, the coach, just saying, keep your head, stick to our game plan. We know what we're doing. We know what the plan is and stick to it. And it's all about keeping this close distance. But how long until Garrozzo with the experience he's got that susses us out and forces Chung to do something different or stops that working? Well, you can bet your bottom dollar that Garrozzo is going to be sharp to it. I think the change of weapon is as much about a tactical thinking break as anything else. Let's see what Garrozzo does back into his high hand out of the way, coming forwards now, looking to draw the attack from Chung Ka Long. And he's changed the line of his parry again. Absolute game of physical chess, this one. At the moment, Chung's got more pieces on the board. Garrozzo's got him to the back line. A very patient approach that time, conscious that the counterattack could come out or the stop hit. And now there's another issue. He's got a problem with what looks to be hamstring. I think he's called for the doctor here. Just having a little bit of time, seeing if some self massage can relieve that tension. He really did push and finish with a big lunge. And did he just tweak something ever so slightly? I'm sure he'll put that to the back of his mind. But first up, a little moment to just make sure he's in the best opportunity he is whilst he's back on the front foot. I mean, maybe this could be cramp. It looks as though he's just happy to let the medics give that some attention. Let's see if there's anything he did that was obvious in this moment of attack. Really pushing. Great to see the slow-mo, the footwork in that situation. But it looks like it could be a ductus strain, maybe just on the inside of his thigh. Let's see if a little bit of physical massage can help relieve that. Garrozzo cannot afford any sort of body saving at this point. You cannot be saving yourself in a lunge when you've got to 100% commit, even if you are the Olympic champion. Right now, he's one point down in an Olympic final. So how long does he have here? Is it five minutes of treatment? If they started the injury clock, which you think they have done, we can't see that just yet. My thinking was that there was nothing there, certainly on the lunge, that looked like it was an overstretching. So maybe it was on the recovery as he's bringing his leg back. I have no idea. It could be cramp, but it's a bit of an unusual place to have cramp. You'd normally get it in the lower part of your leg, or even I've seen it in the foot. I've also seen it in the sword arm, believe it or not, moving around so much in foil. And the conditions here are very hot and humid. But of course, we're inside in an air-conditioned hall. It didn't seem like he reacted as though it was cramp. And being on the adductors, maybe hamstring, it could have been, but I just feel like the adductor muscles, those muscles on the inside of the thigh are the ones that really are put under tension from a lunge and from the natural sort of twisted position, your inner defencer. Yeah. And well, I think we're going to find out when he stands up, aren't we? We're going to find out whether he is able to recover from whatever it is. Just bending down to pick up his mask with his legs straight there. So I hope that's not a sign of the injury or the infliction, whatever it was, still playing a part. But he will not be coming back onto this piece until he is properly ready, not just physically, mentally as well. Well, let's see if the movement's still there. He looks like he's moving fine. Well, he'll be sure to not let Chung even think for a moment. Pressed too close that time. Maybe he was just too keen to show that he's back and there's nothing wrong here. Chun Ka-long coming back out on the attack this time and finds a way through. He's definitely got Hong Kong, China's first ever men's foil Olympic medal. And he is looking like he's going for gold here against the current Olympic champion. Again, it's the closing counter. Danny Garozzo needs to go back to the more patient attack. Well, he's going to have to change something. This is quite a shocking result. I think 9-5 to Chung. And I mean, the favourite is most certainly Garozzo coming into this. Yeah, but what the taking apart Chung had of Szupanicz is exactly what he's managed to manufacture here. Clearly, he's been working on this game plan for a tall fencer. He's fencing very, very close. And you'd think it would favour Danny Garozzo. But clearly, he's been working on this moment to go in with the closing counter attack. It's a risky strategy, but it's paid off. He's got him this far and now he's five hits away from the Olympic title. Garozzo will be looking at five hits away from his opponent just to draw ten apiece. Celebrating every point. He knows he's got some work to do, but he knows he's capable of climbing back up as well. He will just be thinking of every point at a time. And the reason he got that one is because it's a slower approach from a little bit further out before finishing. He's trying to draw the counter out so that he can finish his attack, Danny Garozzo. Got to be careful, though, because immediately when Chung gets hit, as he did in the semifinals, he's straight back after his opponent. He doesn't want to relinquish this lead. Lovely hit there. The circular ceased into Preem, taking the blade with a six. Watch this big circular sweep of the blade and then coming down into Preem. A semi round the world because his elbow's behind his head. And this time it's Garozzo that comes in with the closing counter. And he just caught Koenig, the coach there for Chung Ka Long, saying don't go for the blade. Well, whatever Chung was doing, he's lost that momentum and Garozzo seems to have him sussed right now. Three hits in very quick succession. And he is looking on a roll. Well, this match is turning around or about to turn around ever so quickly. We blinked and those four hits from Garozzo have just changed the dynamic. The question here is, are we going to get to a minute break here? Chung no doubt wanting the break as he has just lost that significant margin he had. And what can he do now? Because whatever he's been doing isn't working. Garozzo's worked out the distance. So that's the attack from this is OK. That's the attack from Chung. Strong, stay strong. The Italian coaches are shouting. Oh, beautiful. That was more like attack into preparation rather than the counterattack, picking the moment to go in on the attack. A nice hit. That will give Ka Long Chung a little bit more confidence. It was starting to look a bit dangerous for a moment. This fight is still very much on. We've seen Garozzo eat up the lead that Chung had, but Chung now just pulling away again, giving himself a little bit of breathing space. Attack from the left. And Danny Garozzo calls for a video replay. He can't quite understand that one. Be nice to see this one again. Natalia Zvereva on the video duties. Is there a pause? Is there a pause from Chung Ka Long? There isn't, according to referee Florian Jorge, arguably the best foil referee in the world at the moment. That decision will bring delight to Chung's ears. Garozzo under the pressure in this situation right now. Another attack from Danny Garozzo. This slow approach. This isn't done yet. Can Garozzo find that momentum he had a moment ago? He just delivered a few hits in a few seconds, it seemed. He needs that form right now. Slow and patient on the long attack again. Chung looking for the counter. Danny Garozzo waiting for him to go for it. That's still the attack for me. And you can see the frustration there from Chung Ka Long. He just went a tiny bit too early. The Italian coach has full belief in Garozzo. He knows he can do it under pressure. Brilliant attack though from Chung Ka Long. Qualified doctor Danny Garozzo diagnosed his own collapsed lung a few years ago. He needs to find a way to dig deep here. Chung Ka Long thinks he's got this. Chung Ka Long and coach Gregory Koenig think they've got it. Florian Jorge has gone to have a look at the video. This is a massive call here. He thinks, I think this is going to go to Garozzo. What a crucial, crucial point this is. No it isn't. My goodness me. St. Louis 1904, Ramon Fonts from Cuba took the men's foil gold. Sydney 2000, Kim Yong-ho from Korea took the men's foil gold. London 2012, Lei Sheng took the men's foil gold for China. This is only the fourth non-European men's foil Olympic champion. And it's Chung Ka Long from Hong Kong in Tokyo 2020. What an upset here in this men's individual foil competition. Chung Ka Long came in as the underdog against the former Olympic champion. He held his call. He had the pressure on him from Garozzo and just a bit heartbroken. Garozzo took the gold in Rio and now it's dawning on him that it's the silver this time around. But the joy result in the men's individual foil. We have a new Olympic champion Chung Ka Long beating the Rio gold medalist Daniela Garozzo. 15 hits to 10. Who'd have thought it? It's time now for the medal ceremony, the men's individual foil event. Plenty of surprises in this competition. Some early knockouts. Three Americans in the top 10, not making it past the last 16. Two of them not past the last 32. The Olympic champion from Rio into the final, the gold medal match. And that was probably the biggest upset of all, as he settles for silver. Medals will be presented by IOC member, also two-time Olympic champion in fencing himself. Joined by Manuel Katsiadakis, FIE Secretary General from Greece. Now after a very tough bronze medal match, it was victory for Alexander Shupinich from Czech Republic. History for the Czech country. He's the first fencer to win an individual medal in this event at the Olympic Games. Not just special for Shupinich himself, but also for his nation. Second Olympic Games, his first time on the podium. History in the family. His step-grandmother presented the Soviet Union at four Olympic Games and won three golds in the team foil. So foil obviously runs in the blood. A bronze for Alexander Shupinich. Well, there's a bittersweet moment for Daniele Carozzo. Very emotional moment indeed. He came, overcame some incredibly strong opponents, including the world champion, on his journey to reach this final. He must have started to think that he could repeat the gold medal he won five years ago back in Rio. It wasn't to be this time. Understanding Katsiadakis, just having a few words there as Daniele Carozzo adds a silver medal to his gold. And the men's individual foil Tokyo 2020 Olympics. But what a performance by the young Cheung Ka-long for Hong Kong, China. He is standing on the top step as an Olympic champion at the age of 24. He overcame Daniele Carozzo, didn't let the moment get to him. He knew he was up against the defending Olympic champion in the gold medal match and he came out on top. An incredible performance at his second Olympic Games. The first ever male foilist from Hong Kong to win a medal, let alone stand on the top step. Well now, a moment for the national anthem from Hong Kong, China. History made here. Tokyo 2020 men's individual foil. Cheung Ka-long taking that incredible gold medal. What a surprise it was. Daniele Carozzo settling with the silver. I'm sure once it's all sunk in, he'll be well aware of the significance of another Olympic medal in his cabinet. Shupilic also making history for the Czech Republic with his bronze. A mask back on as the fencers come in close for the photos. Special moments to be captured here. Confirmation of the top eight, the semi-finalists and our podium finishers. Cheung Ka-long, the new Olympic champion.