SYDNEY (AP) -- Pavel Kolobkov of Russia finished off a day of upsets to win an individual gold medal in the epee event at the Olympics.

 Kolobkov defeated 1998 world champion Hugues Obry of France, 15-12, in the title match Saturday. Lee Sang-ki of South Korea edged Marcel Fischer of Switzerland, 15-14, for the bronze.

 Kolobkov was a silver medallist in the team event for Russia at the 1996 Olympics.

 The day was full of upsets as several top-ranked fencers went out early.

 Two former world and Olympic champions lost in early rounds. Eric Srecki of France, the 1992 and 1997 world champion, and German veteran Arnd Schmitt, who won an Olympic title in 1988, bowed out before making the semifinals.

 Alfredo Rota, who took a World Cup event in Sydney, also had a disappointing showing.

 SYDNEY (AP) -- Results Saturday from the fencing event at the Summer Olympics
 Men
 Individual Epee
 First Round
 Meelis Loit, Estonia, def. Wang Weixin, China, 15-7; Oleksandr Gorbachuk, Ukraine, def. Nelson Loyola, Cuba, 15-14; Vladimir Pchenikin, Belarus, def. Jonathan Pena Gonzalez, Puerto Rico, 15-11; Laurie Shong, Vancouver, def. David Nathan, Australia, 15-8; Aleksandr Poddubny, Kyrgyzstan, def. Andrus Kajak, Estonia, 15-13; Zhao Gang, China, def. Mohanad Saif, Egypt, 15-12; Michael Switak, Austria, def. Sergey Shabalin, Kazakstan, 14-13; Mauricio Rivas, Colombia, def. Nick Heffernan, Australia, 15-10; Gerard Adams, Australia, def. Carlos Pedroso, Cuba, 15-13; Tamir Bloom, U.S., def. Andrei Murashko, Belarus, 8-4.
 Second Round
 Pavel Kolobkov, Russia, def. Meelis Loit, Estonia, 15-9; Oleksandr Gorbachuk, Ukraine, def. Joerg Fiedler, Germany, 9-8, 00:16, hit; Peter Vanky, Sweden, def. Vladimir Pchenikin, Belarus, 15-9; Attila Fekete, Hungary, def. Laurie Shong, Vancouver, 14-13, 01:00, toss; Sang-yup Lee, South Korea, def. Vitaly Zakharov, Belarus, 15-14; Eric Srecki, France, def. Christoph Marik, Austria, 15-10; Paolo Milanoli, Italy, def. Angelo Mazzoni, Italy, 15-13; Zhao Gang, China, def. Oliver Kayser, Austria, 15-12; Ivan Trevejo, Cuba, def. Aleksandr Poddubny, Kyrgyzstan, 15-10.
 Sang-ki Lee, South Korea, def. Marc Steifensand, Germany, 15-8; Hugues Obry, France, def. Jean Francois di Martino, France, 15-12; Marcel Fischer, Switzerland, def. Roy-sung Yang, South Korea, 13-12, 00:57, hit; Alfredo Rota, Italy, def. Michael Switak, Austria, 15-11; Mauricio Rivas, Colombia, def. Kaido Kaaberma, Estonia, 15-13; Gerard Adams, Australia, def. Ivan Kovacs, Hungary, 15-14; Arnd Schmitt, Germany, def. Tamir Bloom, U.S., 15-12.
 Third Round
 Pavel Kolobkov, Russia, def. Sang-yup Lee, South Korea, 15-8; Eric Srecki, France, def. Oleksandr Gorbachuk, Ukraine, 15-11; Peter Vanky, Sweden, def. Paolo Milanoli, Italy, 15-6; Zhao Gang, China, def. Attila Fekete, Hungary, 9-8, 00:44, hit; Ivan Trevejo, Cuba, def. Alfredo Rota, Italy, 15-12; Sang-ki Lee, South Korea, def. Mauricio Rivas, Colombia, 15-13; Hugues Obry, France, def. Gerard Adams, Australia, 15-5; Marcel Fischer, Switzerland, def. Arnd Schmitt, Germany, 15-10.
 Quarter-finals
 Pavel Kolobkov, Russia, def. Ivan Trevejo, Cuba, 15-14; Sang-ki Lee, South Korea, def. Eric Srecki, France, 15-14; Hugues Obry, France, def. Peter Vanky, Sweden, 15-12; Marcel Fischer, Switzerland, def. Zhao Gang, China, 15-10.
 Semifinals
 Pavel Kolobkov, Russia, def. Lee Sang-ki, South Korea, 13-9; Hugues Obry, France, def. Marcel Fischer, Switzerland, 15-13.
 Bronze Medal
 Lee Sang-ki, South Korea, def. Marcel Fischer, Switzerland, 15-14.
 Gold Medal
 Pavel Kolobkov, Russia, def. Hugues Obry, France, 15-12.