Misaki Emura rebounded from personal disappointment to come up big in the women's team sabre event Saturday by winning the final contest to secure bronze for Japan.
Emura stepped to the Grand Palais piste with Japan holding a 40-37 lead over France but with momentum against her after her teammate Seri Ozaki gave up two points to Manon Apithy-Brunet.
The blonde-haired 25-year-old, who was a shock loser in the last 16 of the individual sabre event, faced off against Sara Balzer and a raucous home crowd, but stood tall to win the bout 5-3 and ensure Japan would take the 45-40 win and its fourth fencing medal of the Paris Games.
"I haven't been able to fence the way I wanted to for a long time and I don't think my performance today was that good either," Emura said.
"But my teammates guided me through both mentally and fencing-wise and that enabled me to fight on till the end."
"I'm really filled with joy to have been able to win the medal with these teammates," Emura, one of Japan's opening ceremony flag bearers, said.
In the final, Ukraine beat South Korea 45-42 to claim gold.
With the bronze medal win, Emura, Ozaki and their teammates Risa Takashima and Shihomi Fukushima became Japan's first sabre fencing Olympic medalists, men or women.
By winning four fencing medals in Paris, Japan has now won more at the ongoing games than it totaled in all previous Olympics, with one more chance at a medal in the men's team foil event on Sunday.
Related coverage:
Olympics: Japan wins 1st ever women's team foil medal in Paris
Olympics: Misaki Emura a shock loser in sabre fencing last 16
