Shin A-lam

The Korean Olympic Committee is seeking a joint silver medal for fencer Shin A-lam after her defeat in the epee semifinal to Germany's Britta Heidemann due to a hugely controversial timekeeping glitch.

The KOC on Thursday said it will send an official letter, signed by its chairman Park Yong-sung and the International Fencing Federation (FIE), to the International Olympic Committee to that effect.

Park "met with the head of the FIE on Tuesday and agreed to send a letter to the IOC on behalf of the two groups asking it to award Shin a joint silver medal," a spokesman said. Earlier the FIE said Shin would be given a special medal for her "aspiration to win and respect for the rules."

Park has already signed the letter and forwarded it to the FIE, whose president, Alisher Usmanov, also signed it. Park now plans to meet with IOC President Jacques Rogge to discuss the issue.

Shin and Heidemann had been locked at 5-5 in the extra minute during Tuesday's match, but the German was able to score the winning hit because the clock seemed to stop with one second remaining. The FIE admitted that the problem stemmed from mechanical limitations of the clock and the poor job done by the timekeeper.