(Paris) Canadian fencer Fares Arfa almost reached the semi-finals of the men’s individual sabre event on Saturday at the Paris Games, after notably surprising the reigning triple Olympic champion.
Arfa, who is playing in his first career Olympic Games, lost 15-13 to South Korean Oh Sang-uk.
Sang-uk is ranked fourth in the world, while Arfa, from Laval, is ranked 35th.e echelon.
Earlier Saturday, Arfa upset three-time defending Olympic champion Aron Szilagyi, 15-8.
The victory propelled him to the round of 16, where he defeated Frenchman Bolade Apithy, also by a score of 15-8.
Arfa, a 29-year-old fencer of Algerian origin, represented Canada at two editions of the Pan American Games.