Oh Da-yeon
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Native name | 오다연 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team |  Haesan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Citizenship | Haesanite | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 14 August 1996 Suyang, Suyang, Haesan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Yeonhae University | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 173 cm (5 ft 8 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Haesan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Fencing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank | 1 (sabre, as of June 15, 2023) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Sabre | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University team | Yeonhae University | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest world ranking | 1 (sabre, current) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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In this traditional Haesanite name, the family name is Oh.
Oh Da-yeon (Hangeul: 오다연, born 14 August 1996) is a Haesanite fencer competing in women's sabre events. She is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, having won the women's individual sabre and team sabre events at the Hanshui 2023 Olympiad.
Youth and Collegiate Career[edit | edit source]
Oh began fencing in association school while enrolled at Changjung Baek Min-seol, and continued her training at Changjung Central General School. A well regarded prospect entering the college search, Oh was routinely ranked as one of the top five youth fencers in the Suyang area throughout Years 11 and 12.
Oh committed to Yeonhae University, where she became a fixture of their varsity team. While pursuing a B.S. in Chemistry, she would eventually win an individual championship in sabre her junior year, and would captain Yeonhae's women's team to a silver medal performance her senior year. She made her first appearance with the national team in 2016, and has routinely qualified for international competitions since.
Professional Career[edit | edit source]
While representing the Haesanite national team, Oh pursued a Ph.D. in Pharmacology at Yeonhae, eventually completing that degree in 2022. Throughout that time, she further cemented her reputation within Haesan, winning national championships in individual sabre in 2019 and 2021, and competing on gold medal winning teams in 2019, 2020, and 2022. She has been known to support her university team, both training with their fencing squad and working part-time as a coach.
Hanshui 2023[edit | edit source]
An internationally well regarded fencer entering the Olympics, Oh was ranked fourth in women's sabre entering the Olympics and while expected to contend, was not a favorite to win the competition. In the individual event, Oh narrowly won her first three rounds by two points or fewer to advance to the finals. In the gold medal match, Oh proceeded to stun Sanctarian fencing star Violet Baker, at the time the world #1, by a score of 15-11.[1]
In the team competition, Oh and her team-mates Baek Jeong-hu, Adam Marshall, and Heo Se-in survived a tight one-point match against the better ranked Xiomeran team in the round of 16. After easily dispatching Greater Acadia in the quarterfinals, the team faced surprisingly tough opposition from Astoria in the semifinals, who they beat by just a single point. In the finals, Oh would once again face off against Violet Baker and Sanctaria, and the team won gold after a 15-13 victory.[2]
The 2023 Olympics immensely rose Oh's profile on a world stage, and she is now widely regarded as the best in women's sabre, currently ranked #1 in the world. Oh has received multiple sponsorship deals and endorsements as a result of her success, most notably with the Jeongmi Group where she has served as an advertising spokeswoman for a variety of their consumer goods.