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Ota to run for place on fencing board

Kyodo

Yuki Ota, Japan’s first and only fencing world champion and a double Olympic medalist, will seek a place on the executive board of the International Fencing Federation, a source told Kyodo News on Monday.

The 30-year-old Ota was selected as head of the player’s executive committee in 2013. He attended FIE board meetings and held a right to vote, but was scheduled to finish his term during the middle of next year.

According to the source, he has decided to run for a place on the FIE board to give Japan a voice within the international federation ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Ota won the individual foil silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and team silver in London in 2012. After London he took time out of the sport and was very active in Tokyo’s winning bid to host the 2020 Games.

He retired after this year’s Rio Olympics where he lost in the individual foil round of 32.

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