GB Men’s Epee Team finish fourth in Maribor
The 2015 Junior European Championships began on 1st March with three days of individual events followed by two days of team events.
Day One
Men’s Foil
Jai Birch’s seventeenth placing from a field of eighty-two was the best British result in the first of the Junior individual events. He was ranked eighth after winning five of his six first round matches and went on to beat Lambrechts (BEL) 15-7 in the round of 64 before losing 15-9 to Lahunou (BLR) in the 32.
Daniel Kiss also made the knockout stages, having won two of his six first round matches, but he lost his 64 fight 15-11 to the number seven seed, Pivovarov (RUS). Rajan Rai lost six of his first round fights so did not progress from the poule stages.
Third seed, Damiano Rosatelli (ITA) beat fourth seed, Daniel Dosa (HUN) 15-10 in the final to secure the title. The bronze medals went to Maximillian Chastenet (FRA) and Kolja Dahlin (DEN).
GB placing: Birch 17th, Kiss 62nd & Rai 67th.
Women’s Sabre
A field of forty-eight took part in this event as Caitlin Maxwell and Laura Gladdish both made the round of 32. Maxwell emerged from the first round as sixth seed having won five of her six first round fights. Gladdish won three of her six first round fights to claim twenty-sixth seed. Both fencers earned byes through the round of 64 before Gladdish fell 15-8 to eventual bronze medalist, Queroli (ITA) and Bakastova (UKR) beat Maxwell 15-9. Maria Chart also came through the poule stages having won two of her six first round fights. Kostrzewa (POL) then knocked her out 15-6 in the round of 64. Kate Daykin was unable to win any of her six first round fights so did not progress from the poules.
It was no surprise to see Anna Marton (HUN), who is ranked nineteenth in the senior category, take the title. She beat Yana Obvintseva (RUS) 15-6 in the gold medal match. The bronze medals went to Anna Bashta (RUS) and Caroline Queroli (ITA).
GB placings: Maxwell 17th, Gladdish 27th, Chart 37th & Daykin 44th.
Day Two
Men’s Epee
In a field of one hundred and fourteen fencers Tomas Curran Jones ended the day as the top Brit. Five wins from six first round fights meant that he was equal twelfth seed for the elimination stage. A bye through the round of 128 was followed by a comfortable 15-6 victory over Aagenaes (NOR) but he then lost 15-11 to Giannotte (LUX).
Harrison Nichols and Aml Sinclair also came through the first round and earned byes through to the round of 64. That was as far as they got as Puchacher (AUT) knocked Nichols out 15-9 and Satkauskas (LTU) beat Sinclair 15-12. William Grealey did not make it out of the poules.
Reigning Champion, Yuval Freilich (ISR) defended his title beating Zsombor Banyai (HUN) 15-12 in the gold medal match which Julian Rose refereed. Peter Bitsch (GER) and Volodymyr Stankevych (UKR) went home with the bronze medals.
GB placings: Curran Jones 20th=, Sinclair 38th, Nichols 45th & Grealey 89th.
Women’s Foil
Just two British fencers took part in this event in a field of sixty-one. Ayesha Fihosy only managed one victory from her five first round matches and did not progress to the elimination stages. Yvonne Chart managed three wins from six poule fights and then went on to beat Behr (GER) 15-10 in the round of 64 before losing 15-7 to the tenth seed for the tournament, Jubenot (FRA).
Oksana Pogrebniak (RUS) became the European Champion, beating Leonie Ebert (GER) 15-9 in the final. Elisabetta Bianchin (ITA) and Flora Pasztor (HUN) won the bronze medals.
GB placings: Chart 30th= & Fihosy 48th.
Day Three
Women’s Epee
Eighty-eight fencers took part in the penultimate junior individual event of these championships including four from Great Britain. Jessica Gundry (V3D3), Medora McCarthy (V4D2), Elisabeth Powell (V2D3) and Lydia Stanier (V3D3) all progressed from the first round earning byes through the incomplete round of 128. None of them could make it any further as Linde (SWE) saw off Gundry 15-9, Emmenegger (SUI) just edged McCarthy 15-14, Karoblyte (LTU) narrowly beat Powell 15-14 and Cugini (SUI) also squeezed past Stanier 15-14.
Anna Kun (HUN) took the gold medal beating number one seed, Roberta Marzani (ITA) 15-8 in the final. Inna Brovko (UKR) and Asa Linde (SWE) were the bronze medalists.
GB placings: McCarthy 39th, Stanier 44th, Gundry 48th & Powell 59th.
Men’s Sabre
Fifty-nine fencers took part in this event including four from Great Britain. Jonathan Webb secured the best British result making the round of 32. He battled through the first round winning just two of his six fights and drew teammate William Deary in the round of 64. Deary had faired slightly better in the first round winning three of his five fights but he lost 15-14 to Webb. Webb then fell 15-9 to Patrice (FRA).
Raphael Van Hoffelen also made the elimination stages, having won two of his five first round matches but then fell 15-12 to number eight seed, Novikau (BLR). Jacob Gander-Compton was unable to win any of his first round matches so did not make the first round cut.
In the gold medal match, Europe’s number one fencer in this category, Dmitriy Danilenko (RUS) took the final individual title with a 15-7 victory over Francesco Bonsanto (ITA). Iliy Andreev (RUS) and Kostiantyn Voronov (UKR) were the bronze medalists.
GB placings: Webb 32nd, Deary 33rd, Van Hoffelen 43rd & Gander-Compton 54th.
Day Four
Men’s Epee Team
Twenty-five teams took part in this event including one from Great Britain. Seeded tenth the GB team comfortably beat Slovenia 45-21 before impressively beating number seven seeds, Italy 45-44. Fifteenth seeds, Romania, were there opponents in the quarterfinals after they had taken out the number two seeds, Russia in the round of 16. Another fabulous victory, 45-40, meant that the British team had two shots at a medal. They faced Hungary in the semi-finals and fell behind early on. Unable to recover the Hungarians progressed to the gold medal match 45-34. Great Britain took on Israel in the bronze medal match and the lead changed hands three times in the first six legs but GB led 30-26 going into the last third. Israel came from behind, as individual Champion, Frielich, anchored his team to a 44-42 victory. France beat Hungary 45-44 in an exciting gold medal which saw more than half of the total points scored in the final two legs.
Men’s Foil Team
There were fifteen teams in this events and Great Britain, ranked tenth, lost 45-34 to Hungary in the round of 16. In the placings matches Great Britain lost to Croatia 45-44 but then beat Slovenia 45-27 and Sweden 45-39 to finish thirteenth. Russia beat Italy 45-39 in the gold medal match as Germany beat Hungary, 45-40 to the bronze medal.
Women’s Sabre Team
Just nine teams took part in this event. Great Britain, ranked eighth, lost 45-39 to Belarus in the round of 16 to finish ninth. Number two seeds, Russia beat the number one seeds, France 45-42 in the gold medal match. Italy beat Hungary 45-43 in a tight bronze medal match.
Day Five
Women’s Epee Team
There were nineteen teams involved in this event and Great Britain, ranked fifteenth, had a bye through to the round of 16. They faced a strong Hungarian side who beat them 45-36. In the placings matches, the GB team lost 45-36 to Lithuania and 45-29 to Austria before beating Spain 45-38 to finish fifteenth. Germany beat Russia 45-38 to take the European title as Italy beat Switzerland 45-27 to secure the bronze medal.
Women’s Foil Team
Great Britain did not enter this event as ten teams fought off for the penultimate title of these Championships. Russia became European Champions, beating Poland 45-27 in the final. Italy came third, beating Germany 45-38 in the bronze medal play-off.
Men’s Sabre Team
Eleven teams took part in this event and Great Britain, ranked sixth, beat the Czech Republic 45-34 in the round of 16 before losing 45-41 to Ukraine. In the placings matches they beat Poland 45-32 but then lost 45-37 to Hungary to finish sixth. Germany won the final junior event with a 45-34 victory against Italy. Russia edged Ukraine 45-40 to take the bronze medal.
Full results can be found here.
Russia topped the medals tables in both the cadet and junior categories as the teams turn their attention to the World Championships taking place in Tashkent, Uzbekistan and the beginning of next month.
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