2023 Universade [FINAL] Cheung 張家朗 v Loisel | Men's Foil Fencing | Hong Kong v France 香港劍擊花劍

Gold Medal bout of the 2023 Cheungdu Universade | Men's Foil Individual event between Cheung Ka Long 張家朗 of Hong Kong 香港 and Pierre Loisel of France.

Thank you to HKFencingHighlights for the footage: https://instagram.com/hkgfencinghighl...

Due to COVID-19, university students which were set to graduate in 2021, can compete at this (2023) universade. CHEUNG is currently 26 years old, while LOISEL is 25.

On the Left - Edgar CHEUNG Ka Long 張家朗 of Hong Kong
CHEUNG Ka Long 張家朗 is the reigning Olympic Champion and ranked 7th in the World as of the end of Season of 2022-23. During this season, CHEUNG Ka Long 張家朗 won Bronze at the 2023 Paris World Cup, and Silver at the 2022 Busan Grand Prix, and the Acapulco World Cup. CHEUNG Ka Long 張家朗 then made Top 8 at the World Championships and achored Team Hong Kong to win Bronze in the team event.

On the Right - Pierre LOISEL of France
Pierre LOISEL is currently ranked 62nd in the World as of the end of the Season of 2022-23. This was a big step down from the previous season when he was ranked 18th. Pierre LOISEL had been switched on a few times for Team France in team competitions, however, recently the team seems to prefer Alexandre EDIRI and Rafael SAVIN

During this bout there was a huge controversy concerning Loisel:

4:37 yellow card given to Loisel for stopping the bout to check if Cheung started early - [I have never seen a yellow card being issued this way in foil before]

12:28 Loisel stops fencing - says something like ‘it’s time’ (end of first period)’
Ref seems to have called halt because Loisel stopped fencing, not because of the end of first period.
VERY IMPORTANT: The box beeped before Loisel stopped (as there was no light, this means that the beep signaled the end of first period)

13:03 Refs check that Cheung was still on the piste, therefore there should not be an automatic halt.

13:26 Refs decide that Cheung was still in the piste

13:24 Second yellow card - Red Card- It seems to be for stopping fencing. Ref also makes a “too much talking” hand signal to Loisel

14:41 Loisel is saying that time is finished so he couldn’t hit Cheung;
but Loisel then argues that the refs called halt too early and he stopped after the halt? - ‘it’s not my fault, it’s yours, so why should I have a yellow card?’;
then Loisel argues that he misses Cheung then looks at the time (which ended) then he stopped so the refs should go back to replay to check the time when he stopped.
Refs basically said: no.

15:15 Refs give a one minute break for the end of first bout - which is a strange decision because this implies that first period had ended before they gave Loisel the yellow card - so logically, if there’s no more time in the first period, then Loisel could not have stopped too early, therefore he could not have been carded for this offence?!


0:00 Intro
1:11 First Period
12:28 Controversy Begins
15:51 Second Period