Paris Olympics: Fencing

Paris Olympics: Fencing

Japanese men's fencing team epee silver medalists (from L) Akira Komata, Kazuyasu Minobe and Koki Kano pose for a photo with their medals at the Paris Olympics Champions Park at the Trocadero in the French capital on Aug. 5, 2024.

Paris Olympics: Fencing

Paris Olympics: Fencing

Japanese fencers (from L) Akira Komata, Kazuyasu Minobe, Koki Kano and Masaru Yamada pose during a press conference on Aug. 3, 2024, a day after winning silver in the men's team epee event at the Paris Olympics in Paris.

Paris Olympics: Fencing

Paris Olympics: Fencing

Japanese fencers (from L) Kazuyasu Minobe, Masaru Yamada, Akira Komata and Koki Kano celebrate on the podium during the medal awarding ceremony for the men's team epee at the Paris Olympics at the Grand Palais in Paris on Aug. 2, 2024. Japan won silver.

Paris Olympics: Fencing

Paris Olympics: Fencing

Japanese fencers (from L) Kazuyasu Minobe, Masaru Yamada, Akira Komata and Koki Kano pose with their men's team epee silver medals at the Paris Olympics at the Grand Palais in Paris on Aug. 2, 2024.

CORRECTED: Paris Olympics: Fencing

CORRECTED: Paris Olympics: Fencing

Japanese fencers (from L) Kazuyasu Minobe, Koki Kano, Masaru Yamada and Akira Komata pose with their men's team epee silver medals at the Paris Olympics at the Grand Palais in Paris on Aug. 2, 2024.

Paris Olympics: Fencing

Paris Olympics: Fencing

Japanese fencers (from L) Kazuyasu Minobe, Masaru Yamada, Akira Komata and Koki Kano pose with their men's team epee silver medals at the Paris Olympics at the Grand Palais in Paris on Aug. 2, 2024.

Paris Olympics: Fencing

Paris Olympics: Fencing

Japanese fencers (from L) Masaru Yamada, Akira Komata, Koki Kano and Kazuyasu Minobe are pictured after losing to Hungary in the men's team epee final at the Paris Olympics at the Grand Palais in Paris on Aug. 2, 2024.

Paris Olympics: Fencing

Paris Olympics: Fencing

Japanese fencers (from L) Kazuyasu Minobe, Masaru Yamada, Koki Kano and Akira Komata are pictured ahead of their gold medal match against Hungary in the men's team epee at the Paris Olympics at the Grand Palais in Paris on Aug. 2, 2024.

Paris 2024 - Epee - Yannick Borel

Paris 2024 - Epee - Yannick Borel

France's Yannick Borel celebrates after winning against Japan's Kazuyasu Minobe in the men's epee individual round of 16 bout during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Grand Palais in Paris, on July 28, 2024. Photo by Eliot Blondet/ABACAPRESS.COM

Paris 2024 - Epee - Yannick Borel

Paris 2024 - Epee - Yannick Borel

France's Yannick Borel celebrates after winning against Japan's Kazuyasu Minobe in the men's epee individual round of 16 bout during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Grand Palais in Paris, on July 28, 2024. Photo by Eliot Blondet/ABACAPRESS.COM

Paris 2024 - Epee - Yannick Borel

Paris 2024 - Epee - Yannick Borel

France's Yannick Borel celebrates after winning against Japan's Kazuyasu Minobe in the men's epee individual round of 16 bout during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Grand Palais in Paris, on July 28, 2024. Photo by Eliot Blondet/ABACAPRESS.COM

Paris 2024 - Epee - Yannick Borel

Paris 2024 - Epee - Yannick Borel

France's Yannick Borel celebrates after winning against Japan's Kazuyasu Minobe in the men's epee individual round of 16 bout during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Grand Palais in Paris, on July 28, 2024. Photo by Eliot Blondet/ABACAPRESS.COM

Paris 2024 - Epee - Yannick Borel

Paris 2024 - Epee - Yannick Borel

France's Yannick Borel celebrates after winning against Japan's Kazuyasu Minobe in the men's epee individual round of 16 bout during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Grand Palais in Paris, on July 28, 2024. Photo by Eliot Blondet/ABACAPRESS.COM

Paris 2024 - Epee - Yannick Borel

Paris 2024 - Epee - Yannick Borel

France's Yannick Borel celebrates after winning against Japan's Kazuyasu Minobe in the men's epee individual round of 16 bout during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Grand Palais in Paris, on July 28, 2024. Photo by Eliot Blondet/ABACAPRESS.COM

Paris 2024 - Epee - Yannick Borel

Paris 2024 - Epee - Yannick Borel

France's Yannick Borel celebrates after winning against Japan's Kazuyasu Minobe in the men's epee individual round of 16 bout during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Grand Palais in Paris, on July 28, 2024. Photo by Eliot Blondet/ABACAPRESS.COM

Paris 2024 - Epee - Yannick Borel

Paris 2024 - Epee - Yannick Borel

France's Yannick Borel celebrates after winning against Japan's Kazuyasu Minobe in the men's epee individual round of 16 bout during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Grand Palais in Paris, on July 28, 2024. Photo by Eliot Blondet/ABACAPRESS.COM

Paris 2024 - Epee - Yannick Borel

Paris 2024 - Epee - Yannick Borel

France's Yannick Borel celebrates after winning against Japan's Kazuyasu Minobe in the men's epee individual round of 16 bout during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Grand Palais in Paris, on July 28, 2024. Photo by Eliot Blondet/ABACAPRESS.COM

(SP)EGYPT-CAIRO-FENCING-2022 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS-TEAM MEN'S EPEE-QUARTERFINAL

(SP)EGYPT-CAIRO-FENCING-2022 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS-TEAM MEN'S EPEE-QUARTERFINAL

(220722) -- CAIRO, July 22, 2022 (Xinhua) -- Liu Yongchuang (R) of China competes with Minobe Kazuyasu of Japan during the team men's epee quarterfinal match between China and Japan at the 2022 Fencing World Championships in Cairo, Egypt, July 22, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

Fencing: Minobe wins Japan's 1st-ever worlds medal in epee

Fencing: Minobe wins Japan's 1st-ever worlds medal in epee

Kazuyasu Minobe poses after winning silver in the individual men's epee on July 19, 2022, at the fencing world championships in Cairo, Japan's first-ever podium finish in the event at worlds level.

Fencing: Minobe wins Japan's 1st-ever worlds medal in epee

Fencing: Minobe wins Japan's 1st-ever worlds medal in epee

Kazuyasu Minobe is pictured after winning his quarterfinal match in the individual men's epee on July 19, 2022, at the fencing world championships in Cairo. He won silver, Japan's first-ever podium finish in the event at worlds level.

(SP)EGYPT-CAIRO-FENCING-2022 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS-MEN'S EPEE INDIVIDUAL-FINAL

(SP)EGYPT-CAIRO-FENCING-2022 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS-MEN'S EPEE INDIVIDUAL-FINAL

(220720) -- CAIRO, July 20, 2022 (Xinhua) -- Romain Cannone celebrates after defeating Minobe Kazuyasu of Japan in the men's epee individual final at the 2022 Fencing World Championships in Cairo, Egypt, on July 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

(SP)EGYPT-CAIRO-FENCING-2022 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS-MEN'S EPEE INDIVIDUAL-FINAL

(SP)EGYPT-CAIRO-FENCING-2022 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS-MEN'S EPEE INDIVIDUAL-FINAL

(220720) -- CAIRO, July 20, 2022 (Xinhua) -- Romain Cannone (R) of France competes against Minobe Kazuyasu of Japan during the men's epee individual final at the 2022 Fencing World Championships in Cairo, Egypt, on July 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

(SP)EGYPT-CAIRO-FENCING-2022 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS-MEN'S EPEE INDIVIDUAL-FINAL

(SP)EGYPT-CAIRO-FENCING-2022 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS-MEN'S EPEE INDIVIDUAL-FINAL

(220720) -- CAIRO, July 20, 2022 (Xinhua) -- Romain Cannone (R) of France competes against Minobe Kazuyasu of Japan during the men's epee individual final at the 2022 Fencing World Championships in Cairo, Egypt, on July 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

(SP)EGYPT-CAIRO-FENCING-2022 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS-MEN'S EPEE INDIVIDUAL-FINAL

(SP)EGYPT-CAIRO-FENCING-2022 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS-MEN'S EPEE INDIVIDUAL-FINAL

(220720) -- CAIRO, July 20, 2022 (Xinhua) -- Romain Cannone of France celebrates during the awarding ceremony after defeating Minobe Kazuyasu of Japan in the men's epee individual final at the 2022 Fencing World Championships in Cairo, Egypt, on July 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

Tokyo Olympics: Fencing

Tokyo Olympics: Fencing

(From L) Masaru Yamada, Koki Kano, Kazuyasu Minobe and Satoru Uyama of Japan celebrate after defeating South Korea in the men's fencing epee team semifinals at the Tokyo Olympics on July 30, 2021, at Makuhari Messe Hall in Chiba near Tokyo. (Kyodo)(SELECTION) ==Kyodo

Fencing: Japan national championships

Fencing: Japan national championships

Inochi Ito (L) and Kazuyasu Minobe compete in the final of the men's epee event at the national fencing championships in Tokyo on Dec. 9, 2018. (Pool photo) (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Japan's Minobe advances to 3rd round

Japan's Minobe advances to 3rd round

Japan's Kazuyasu Minobe celebrates after defeating Marco Fichera of Italy 15-8 during a men's epee individual second round match at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics on Aug. 9, 2016, to advance to the third round. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Japan's Minobe advances to 3rd round

Japan's Minobe advances to 3rd round

Japan's Kazuyasu Minobe celebrates after defeating Marco Fichera of Italy 15-8 during a men's epee individual second round match at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics on Aug. 9, 2016, to advance to the third round. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Japan's Minobe advances to 3rd round

Japan's Minobe advances to 3rd round

Japan's Kazuyasu Minobe (L) faces off against Marco Fichera of Italy during a men's epee individual second round match at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics on Aug. 9, 2016. Minobe won 15-8 to advance to the third round. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Japan's Minobe advances to 3rd round

Japan's Minobe advances to 3rd round

Japan's Kazuyasu Minobe (L) faces off against Marco Fichera of Italy during a men's epee individual second round match at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics on Aug. 9, 2016. Minobe won 15-8 to advance to the third round. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Japan's Minobe advances to 3rd round

Japan's Minobe advances to 3rd round

Japan's Kazuyasu Minobe (L) faces off against Marco Fichera of Italy during a men's epee individual second round match at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics on Aug. 9, 2016. Minobe won 15-8 to advance to the third round. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo