Hungarian fencer Aron Szilagyi's historic Olympic streak ended in shock as the three-time champion lost his opening bout to Canadian Fares Arfa in the ongoing Paris Olympics on Saturday. The three-time Olympic champion went down Arfa, who made his Olympic debut, by 15-8
Szilagyi is the only male fencer to have won three individual gold medals at the Olympics and was looking to become the only fencer with four individual golds in the history of the sport. However, he was unable to replicate his magic, which saw him remain unbeaten in 15 games at the individual sabre competition at the Olympics. He had not been beaten in that event since the 2008 Beijing Olympics when he lost to Keeth Smart of the United States in the round of 16.
He had won the Gold medals in the 2012, 2016 and 2021 Olympic Games. A shocked Szilagyi opened up after his loss to the 27-seeded Canadian, who was making his debut in the Olympic Games. "I'm in a bit of shock right now, so I'm not even disappointed or angry at myself yet. It happened so fast, and I've never thought that my individual competition here in Paris would be so short," Szilagyi said.
“It's really a shock. It's like my opponent read me. I was an open book to him," he added. In every touch, what he wanted, it happened. All his parries worked, all his attacks landed.”
His loss depicts what mindset he is in now. “It was like as if he'd been the three-time Olympic champion, and I was some kind of first-time Olympian,” Szilagyi added.
