Taiwan’s Ariel Lin set to become top-ranked youth fencer

台灣選手林雨潔有望成為世界第一的青少年擊劍選手

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s Ariel Lin (林雨潔), 15, is set to become the world’s top-ranked under-17 women’s epee fencer after winning gold at the International Fencing Federation Junior World Cup in Cairo, Egypt, on Thursday, per CNA.

Lin edged Canadian fencer Serena Xu 10-9 in the final to claim the title. The victory is expected to lift Lin from fourth to first in the under-17 world rankings, though updated rankings had not been published as of press time.

The FIE Junior World Cup circuit includes five stops: Costa Rica, Italy, Bahrain, Egypt, and Hangzhou on Feb. 12. Lin has collected two gold medals and one bronze across the first four events.

The Cairo win is expected to improve Lin’s seeding for upcoming major competitions, including the Asian Junior Championships and the World Junior Championships.

After the group stage in Egypt, Lin entered the single-elimination bracket as the 12th seed. She defeated China’s Ding Xiaoxi in the quarterfinals and Uzbekistan’s Sanam Nazarova in the semifinals.

Lin’s coach, Lee Chun-cheng (李俊徵), told CNA the cadet circuit functions much like world ranking events for senior fencers, with results determining world rankings, qualification standards, and seedings for future youth competitions.

Lee said Lin suffered a wrist injury during the group stage but was able to continue after brief treatment and icing. He credited her performance in the knockout rounds to patience and tactical discipline.

Lee added that if Lin secures the top world ranking, she will be able to compete in February’s Asian Junior Championships and April’s World Junior Championships as the world No. 1. If she achieves the best Asian result at the World Junior Championships, she would directly qualify for the Summer Youth Olympics scheduled at the end of October in Dakar, Senegal.