Report from the Sabre World Cups in Ghent and Warsaw

The senior international season continued at the weekend with sabre events in Belgium and Poland.

Men’s Sabre World Cup – Warsaw

Two hundred and three fencers took part in the sabre World Cup in Warsaw including Soji Aiyenuro, Harry Boteler, Michael Clarke, Alex Crutchett, James Honeybone, Curtis Miller, Rafael Van Hoffelen and Jonathan Webb from Great Britain.  Boteler (V4D2), Crutchett (V5D1), Honeybone (V4D2), Miller (V2D4) and Webb (V2D4) progressed through the first round but Aiyenuro (V1D4), Clarke (V1D5) and Van Hoffelen (V1D5) did not make the cut.  In the first of two preliminary knockout fights Crutchett beat Stanislawski (POL) 15-14 and Webb secured a 15-13 victory over Gans (FRA).  Boteler, Honeybone and Miller did not go any further though, as they lost to Natanzon (USA) 15-14, Mancheno (ESP) 15-10 and Gordon (CAN) 15-7, respectively.  A dominant display from Crutchett in the second preliminary fight saw him make day two and the round of 64 with a 15-3 victory over Iancu (ROM).  Webb was beaten 15-2 by Skrodzki (POL).

Crutchett’s fine form continued in the next round, where he beat bronze medallist from the Padua World Cup, Sanguk Oh (KOR) 15-7.  His next opponent was Luigi Samele (ITA) and in another brilliant fight Crutchett progressed 15-14.  In the round of 16 he faced another Italian, Luca Curatoli, who knocked him out 15-7.  This points haul leaves Crutchett just outside the world’s top 100.

Bongil Gu (KOR) beat Tiberiu Dolniceanu (ROM) 15-8 to take the title as Luca Curatoli and Aron Szilagyi (HUN) completed the podium.

The twenty-three entries to the team event included one from Great Britain who went out 45-43 to Egypt in the round of 32.  France defeated Korea 45-43 to take the gold medal as Russia beat Italy by the same score for the bronze medal.

GB individual placings:  Crutchett 16^th, Webb 96^th, Honeybone 100^th, Boteler 106^th, Miller 141^st, Aiyenuro 163^rd, Van Hoffelen 171^st & Clarke 178^th.

Click here for full individual results.

Click here for full team results.

Women’s Sabre World Cup – Ghent

One hundred sixty-nine fencers took part in this event including Harriet Dixon, Katherine Kempe, Bridget Pleasant and Sophie Williams.  Only Kempe (V2D3) progressed through the first round as Dixon (V2D4), Plesant (V1D5) and Williams (V1D5) failed to make the cut.  In the first of two preliminary knockout fights Gulotta (ITA) beat Kempe 15-10.  Sofya Velikaya (RUS) won the competition, beating Mariel Zagunis (USA) 15-10 in the final.  Anna Marton (HUN) and Olga Kharlan (UKR) went home with the bronze medals.

The twenty entries in the team event did not include one from Great Britain as Italy took the gold medal, beating France 45-40 in the final.  The USA beat Russia 45-30 for bronze.

GB individual placings:  Kempe 118^th,  Dixon 133, Plesant 145^th & Williams 149^th.

Click here for full individual results.

Click here for full team results.

The 2014/15 senior season continues on 13^th March with a foil Grand Prix in Havana.