The Cadet & Junior European Championships took place in Porec, Croatia, 22– 26 February. Here is our report about how our British fencers performed at one of the biggest international events in the calendar.
Karim Bashir
Day 1
Men’s Epee
The event began with the Cadet Men’s Epee tournament and there were four British fencers in a field of 133. Alec Brooke (Knightsbridge Fencing Club) came through the first round with six victories from six fights and ranked fifth for the elimination stages. Edward Scott Payne (Leon Paul Epee) scored five wins from six, Joseph Walmsley (Greater Manchester Fencing) four from six and Louis Taiwo-Williams (Derbyshire Epee Academy) three from six.
Brooke and Scott Payne both received byes through the round of 128. Walmsley and Taiwo-Williams joined them in the 64 by beating Planojevic (SRB) 15-10 and Rankl (AUT) 15-11, respectively. Taiwo-Williams then lost 15-13 to Tobias (EST) but Brooke beat Corvers (BEL) 15-11 and Scott Payne took out Nistor (ROU) 15-6. Most impressively, Walmsley beat the European number one, Priimagi (EST) 15-12 before taking out Europe’s number 5 Kublitskyi (UKR) 15-9. Brooke also made the round of 16, beating Javanovic (SRB) 15-11. As did Scott Payne who beat European number ten Kovacs (HUN) 15-14. Zhukov (RUS) ended Walmsley’s day in the next round by beating him 15-12 but Brooke and Scott Payne made the quarterfinals, beating Ivakimov (BLR) 15-13 and Portmann (SUI) 15-14, respectively. Great Britain’s hopes ended in the round of 8 as Zhukov defeated Brooke 15-7 and European number 12, Huerlin-Vazquez (FRA) beat Scott Payne 15-11.
Theo Brochard (SUI) won the first Cadet European title beating Simone Mancerelli (ITA) 15-9 in the gold medal match as Iino Huerlin-Vazquez shared the bronze medal position with Semen Zhukov.
GBR placings: Brooke 5, Scott Payne 7, Walmsley 13 & Taiwo-Williams 58.
Women’s Sabre
The field of 78 in this event included four British fencers. Bethany Brierley (TMFC Sabre) won all five of her first-round matches, Lexie Craze (Truro) won two from five and Amy Westwell (Russell Swords) took two from six. All three progress to the elimination stages. Bea Abram-Moore took one victory from five fights and didn’t make the cut.
Brierley went on to beat Gazepidi (GRE) 15-11 before losing by the same score to Z. Porada (POL) in the round of 32. Both Craze and Westwell were beaten in the round of 64 by P. Porada (POL) 15-11 and Bondar (UKR) 15-9, respectively.
Toscane Tori (FRA) secured the European title, beating Oleksandra Bondar 15-11 in the final as Tamar Gordon (ISR) and Alina Pastukhova (RUS) collected the bronze medals.
GBR placings: Brierley 18, Craze 54, Westwell 58 & Abram-Moore 61.
Day 2
Men’s Foil
The second day of the Championships began with a field of 102 in the Men’s Foil individual event which included four British fencers. Jaimie Cook (Salle Holyrood) won all six of his first-round matches, whilst Rafael Rhys Pollitt (FCL), Oliver Strange (Salle Paul Foil) and Daria Stenbeck-Schiavo (ZFW) all claimed four wins from six fights. All four progressed to the elimination phase of the tournament
Only Strange made it through the round of 64 beating teammate Stenbeck-Schiavo 15-13. Cook fell 15-12 to Kaskow (POL) whilst Aloian (RUS) defeated Rhys Pollitt 15-11. Strange could not make it further than the next round, losing 15-11 to Spichiger (FRA).
Gergo Szemes (HUN) won the European title, beating Dmitrii Osipov (RUS) 15-13 in the final as Ivan Bulgya (RUS) and Zakhar Koslov (RUS) took the bronze medals.
GBR placings: Strange 27=, Cook 33, Stenbeck-Schiavo 41 & Rhys Pollitt 49.
Women’s Epee
One hundred and thirteen athletes took part in this event including another four from Great Britain. Patrycja Krzyzaniak (Chelsea) won all six of her first round matches, seeding fifth for the elimination stages and earning a bye through the round of 128. Julia Caron (Chelsea) won three fights from six and Isabella Summers (Chelsea) took two wins from five, both making the elimination stages. Keira Papadopoulos (Edinburgh) had one victory from six fights and missed the cut.
Caron joined Krzyzaniak in the round of 64 by beating Attellesey (SWE) 14-12 but Summers was eliminated in the 128 15-11 by Kuleshova (UKR). In the next round the two remaining British fencers faced each other and Krzyzaniak beat Caron 15-11. She went on to defeat Orlova (LAT) 15-14 before losing 15-8 to European number six, Polozova (RUS).
Ekaterina Kolbeneva (RUS) claimed the European title with a 15-13 victory over teammate Iana Bekmurzova in the final. Gaia Caforio (ITA) and Gloria Klughardt (POL) picked up the bronze medals.
GBR placings: Krzyzaniak 10, Caron 56=, Summers 77 & Papadopoulos 105.
Day 3
Women’s Foil
There were four more British fencers in this event amongst a field of ninety-four. Carolina Stutchbury (Epic Fencing Club Atlanta) won five of her six first round matches, Amelia Tsang (ZFW) took four wins from six and Martha Carus Bird (Cobham Fencing Club) won three from six, all making the elimination stages. Madeleine Gale (Allez Fencing) won one of her six first round matches and didn’t make the cut.
In the round of 64 Stutchbury beat Alvito (POR) 15-5 and Carus Bird knocked out Sofran (ROU) 13-12 but Tsang lost 15-14 to European number 12, Kolodziejczyk (POL). In the next round European number 8, Lorenzi (ITA) ended Carus Bird’s day 15-8 but Stutchbury beat Kamaldinova (RUS) by the same score. Stutchbury went on to beat Hohenadel (GER) 15-9 and European number 13, Holland-Cunz (GER) 15-5 before losing 15-12 to European number 3 Calvenese (ITA) in the semi-final. The result meant that Stutchbury claimed Great Britain’s first medal of these Championships.
Matilde Calvenese went on to secure the European title with a 15-10 victory over Darya Malysheva (RUS) in the final. Olga Sopit (UKR) shared the bronze medal position with Stutchbury.
You can read a full report on Carolina Stutchbury’s performance here.
GBR placings: Stutchbury 3, Carus Bird 31, Tsang 37 & Gale 79.
Men’s Sabre
There were eighty-two fencers in this event including four from Great Britain. Rory McLellan (Salle Osian) won four of his five first round matches, Ian Ho (Brentwood) won four from six, Max Cromie (Truro) took three from six and Samuel Allen (Truro) won three from five. All four made the elimination stages.
In the round of 64, Cromie beat Neuhaeusser (GER) 15-14 and McLellan defeated Stoyanov (BUL) 15-4 but Ondrik (HUN) took out Ho 15-6 and Allen lost 15-11 to Kucherenko (UKR). British hopes ended in the next round as Kajor (POL) beat Cromie 15-11 and McLellan lost 15-4 to European number 14, Kisin (RUS).
Colin Heathcock (GER) won the final Cadet individual European title by beating Dmitriy Nasanov (RUS)15-13 in the fold medal match. Valentin Meka (GER) and Konrad Ondrik shared the bronze medal position.
GBR placings: McLellan 23, Cromie 31, Ho 40= & Allen 42.
Day 4
Men’s Team Foil
Ranked eighth, Great Britain lined up with Cook, Rhys Pollitt, Strange & Stenbeck-Schiavo in a field of twenty-one teams. A bye through the round of 32 was followed by a 45-39 victory against Spain. Great Britain then faced number one seeds Russia and lost 45-24. They went on to lose 45-43 to Ukraine and 45-37 to Hungary to finish 8th.
Russia went on to win the tournament beating Italy in the final as Poland beat Germany in the bronze medal match.
Men’s Team Epee
Ranked second, Great Britain lined up with Brooke, Scott Payne, Taiwo-Williams & Walmsley in a field of thirty-one teams. In the round of 32, they beat Armenia 45-24 and Finland 45-35 before losing to Italy 45-33. Victories over Switzerland 45-32 and Ukraine 45-38 in the placings matches saw them finishing 5th.
Italy went on to win the title beating Russia in the final as Hungary claimed bronze with victory over France.
Women’s Team Sabre
The field of fifteen in this event included Great Britain. The line up, Abram-Moore, Brierley, Craze & Westwell were ranked twelfth and faced a tough first match against number five seeds, Italy. They lost 45-26 before beating Georgia 45-27, Bulgaria 45-43 and the Czech Republic 45-31 to finish 11th.
Hungary won the European title by beating Russia in the final as Ukraine took the bronze medal with victory over Romania.
Day 5
Women’s Team Epee
Ranked fourteenth, Great Britian lined up with Caron, Papadopoulos, Krzyzaniak & Summers in a field of twenty-three. In the round of 32 they beat Azerbaijan 45-30 before losing to Poland 45-26. They went on to beat Ukraine 45-39, Switzerland 45-29 and Romania 40-36 to finish 9th.
Italy beat Israel to claim the European title with Russia taking bronze by beating Germany in the play-off.
Women’s Team Foil
Ranked seventh, the Great Britain team lined up with Carus Bird, Gale, Stutchbruy & Tsang in a field of eighteen. A bye through the round of 32 was followed by a 45-31 victory over Romania and then a 45-30 defeat to Russia. The team went on to lose 43-39 to Germany before beating Turkey 45-38 to finish 7th.
Russia beat Italy to claim the European title with Ukraine taking bronze by beating Poland in the play-off match.
Men’s Team Sabre
Great Britain entered the final team event of these Championships ranked tenth in a field of eighteen. Allen, Cromie, Ho and McLellan had a bye through the round of 32 before losing 45-41 to Romania. They went on to beat Austria 45-44 and Azerbaijan 45-38 before losing 45-41 to Turkey, finishing in 10th place.
France beat Italy to claim the European title with Russia taking bronze by beating Germany.
Full results for the tournament can be found here.
Many of the athletes who attended are part of the British Fencing Athlete Development Programme, funded by Sport England: https://www.sportengland.org/. More information about ADP camps, programmes and updates can be found here: https://www.britishfencing.com/gbr-fencing/gbr-development-programmes/gbr-athlete-development-programme/
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