Australian officials said the Koreans and Chinese had benefited from paid European coaches, like Russian foil fencing great Aleksandr Romankov who fenced with their fencers and coached their coaches. This meant the Koreans could practise against the European style without attending too many World Cup events, meaning the Europeans had few chances to experience their style. Kim, however, was an exception. With barely three possible opponents to practice against in Korea, he attended as many World Cup events as possible ahead of the Olympics. As well, he studied video tapes of top European fencers and developed speed to combat the extra height of his likely opponents.
Korean fencers are usually short but fast.
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