Men’s Foil Team win Paris World Cup Bronze

Senior Men’s Foil – Paris World Cup

Six British fencers lined up in a field of two hundred and sixteen in the individual event in Paris.  By virtue of their world ranking, James Davis and Richard Kruse had byes through to the second day and the round of 64.  Meanwhile, Laurence Halsted (V5D1), Marcus Mepstead (V4D2), Ben Peggs (V5D1) and Alex Toaflides (V3D2) safely navigated their way through the first round poule and all received byes through the first of a three-stage preliminary knockout.  All four British fencers won their second preliminary, 15-4 against N’Kene Mbia Bene (CMR), 15-10 against Kundera (CZE), 15-6 against Bako (HUN) and 15-8 versus Rizell (SWE), respectively.  In the final preliminary, Mepstead beat Daraban (ROU) 15-9 and Tofalides beat Files (CRO) 13-7 but Mertine (FRA) knocked out Halsted 15-13 and Escurat (FRA) eliminated Peggs by the same score.

On the second day, in the round of 64, Davis beat Unda (MEX) 15-6, Kruse defeated teammate Tofalides 15-8 and Mepstead overcame Akhmatkhuzin (RUS) 15-11.  In the next round, only Kruse could progress beating Komissarov (RUS) 15-6 as Davis fell 15-12 to Khovanskiy (RUS) and Trofimov (RUS) beat Mepstead 15-12.  Kruse faced Imboden (USA) in the round of 16 and lost 15-13.

Race Imboden went on to defend the title he won last year, beating Peter Joppich (GER) 15-9 in the final.  Gerek Meinhardt (USA) and Dmitry Rigin (RUS) picked up the bronze medals.

Olympic qualification was on the cards on Sunday as Great Britain faced their rivals for the automatic European spot (in the men’s team foil event) in the round of 16.  Both teams had a bye through to the round of 32.  The match remained tight throughout but Britain (Davis, Halsted and Kruse) led 7-6 after three legs and 16-13 after six.  Halsted and Kruse maintained the 3-hit lead before handing over to Davis for the final leg against Joppich.  As expected a flurry of hits followed – 29 to be precise – but Davis took the team to a 39-35 victory.  In the quarterfinals, Great Britain faced the number one team, France.  Again they led (15-10) after three legs but the French closed to within one hit (26-25) after six legs.  There was still just one point in it going into the anchor leg where Davis faced Le Pechoux.  Davis was too good and took Great Britain to a 45-41 victory.  Mepstead came in for Davis for the semi-final against Italy and despite the British team keeping it close (12-11) after three legs, the Italians pulled away to a 30-17 lead after six.  Italy went on to win 45-25.  Great Britain faced Korea for the bronze medal and trailed throughout.  Back in the team, Davis put in a storming sixth leg to put Britain within two hits at 25-23 down.  Solid performances from Halsted and Kruse gave Davis a fighting chance in the anchor leg and he drew level at time – 34-all.  Priority was handed to Davis as he picked his moment and landed the winning hit to secure the bronze medal.  The USA came from behind against the Italians to take the gold medal 45-43.

GB placings:  Kruse 9^th, Davis 19^th, Mepstead 32^nd, Tofalides 54^th, Halsted 66^th & Peggs 68^th.

Full individual results here.

Full team results here.

Senior Women’s Foil – Gdansk World Cup

There were seven British fencers in the individual field of one hundred and sixty-nine in Poland but only Natalia Sheppard (V4D2) could make it through the first round as Kate Beardmore (V1D5), Ruth Clarke (V0D6), Catherine Cook (V2D4), Chloe Dickson (V0D6), Philippa Mullins (V2D4) and Katie Smith (V1D5) all missed the cut.  Sheppard was unable to make the round of 64 as she lost 10-9 to Knauer (GER) in the first of two preliminary knockout fights.

Arianna Errigo (ITA) stood on top of the podium again as she beat Aida Shanaeva (RUS) 15-8 in the final.  Martina Batini (ITA) and Inna Deriglazova (RUS) completed the podium in the bronze medal spots.

Great Britain (Cook, Dickson, Sheppard and Smith) lined up for the team event in a field of twenty-one.  They face Ukraine in the round of 32 and lost 45-29.  Germany beat Korea 38-35 to take the bronze medal but the title went to Italy who beat Russia 45-44.

GB placings:  Sheppard 100^th, Mullin 128=, Cook 132, Beardmore 145^th, Smith 147^th, Clarke 155^th & Dickson 162=.

Full individual results here.

Full team results here.

Junior Men’s Epee – Basle

Nine British fencers were amongst a field of two hundred and forty-eight on the Swiss-German-French border.  Thomas Dickson (V3D3), Owen Jordan (V4D2), Harrison Nichols (V5D1), Harry Peck (V5D1), Aml Sinclair (V4D2) and Craig Worman (V4D2) all progressed through the first round but Samuel Boyle (V1D5), Daniel McGlade (V2D3) and Benjamin Schneider (V1D5) missed the cut.  Jordan, Nichols, Peck and Sinclair did enough to earn byes through the round of 256 but were not joined in the next round by Dickson or Worman who lost 15-9 to Beaulieau (CAN) and 15-14 to Casaro (ITA), respectively.  In the round of 128, Jordan beat Ferre (CAN) 15-5, Nichols beat Abdelmalak (EGY) 15-12, Peck defeated Fridman (ISR) 9-8 and Sinclair edged Kis (HUN) 14-13.  Jordan then beat Sidorovich (RUS) 15-11, Nichols saw off Pizenburg (ISR) 15-8 and Sinclair just beat Allegre (FRA) 15-14 but Unterhauser (GER) knocked out Peck 15-8.  In the round of 32 Jordan lost 12-10 to Koch (HUN) and Vismara (ITA) beat Nichols 15-12 but Sinclair went through 15-14 over Lubieniecki (POL).  Sinclair had another tight fight in the round of 16 but lost 15-14 to Esztergalyos (HUN).

Patrik Esztergalyos went on to secure a bronze medal along with Gabriele Risicato (ITA) but it was Federico Vismara (ITA) who took the title, beating Zsombor Banyai (HUN) 15-14 in the gold medal match.

In the team event Great Britain faced the Czech Republic in the round of 32 and lost 42-38 to finish nineteenth.  Italy beat Hungary 36-35 in the final and Poland took the bronze medal beating Japan 45-36 in the third place play-off.

GB placings:  Sinclair 14^th, Nichols 20^th, Jordan 26^th, Dickson 146^th, Worman 174^th, McGlade 189^th, Schneider 208^th & Boyle 217^th.

Full individual results here.

Full team results here.

Junior Women’s Epee – Dijon

Just two British fencers lined up in a field of one hundred and thirty-two in France at the weekend.  Both Hannah Nesbitt (V2D4) and Rebecca Wakefield (V3D3) made it through the first round.  In the round of 128 Wakefield beat Kolbinger (GER) 15-9 but Nesbitt went out by the same score to Mayer (GER).  Wakefield could not get through the next round, losing 15-7 to Hornischer (GER).

Diane Von Kerssenbrock (FRA) won the event beating Vanessa Riedmueller (GER) 15-12 in the final.  Alena Komarova (RUS) and Catherine Nixon (USA) picked up the bronze medals.

GB placings:  Wakefield 55^th & Nesbitt 97^th.

Full individual results here.

Cadet Men’s Foil – Pisa

Fifteen British fencers took part in this event in Italy amongst a field of one hundred and forty-six.  Ben Attias, Connor Head, Finlay McAndrew and Aidan Woolley did not make the first round cut.  Douglas Ashby, Felix Fardell, Isaac Jolley, Alexander Jones, Sebastian Sacchi Wilson and Benjamin Stezaker fell in the round of 128 and were followed out in the round of 64 by Matthew Abrahams, Sebastian Monnet and James Page.  In the round of 32 Dominic De Almeida lost 15-14 to Lemmi (ITA) and Sebastian Pallier fell 15-5 to Li (USA).

Nick Itkin (USA) won the event beating Cameron Allen (USA) 15-10 in the gold medal match.  The USA locked out the podium as Andrew Machovec and Marcello Olivares secured the bronze medals.  In fact, it was a great day for the USA team as they filled all top eight spots.

GB placing:  De Almedida 20^th, Pallier 28^th, Page 45^th, Abrahams 51^st, Monnet 62^nd, Fardell 66^th, Stezaker 83^rd, Ashby 85^th, Jolley 96^th, Jones 99^th, Sacchi Wilson 102^nd, Woolley 111^th, Head 121^st, McAndrew 133^rd & Attias 142^nd.

Full individual results here.

Cadet Women’s Foil – Pisa

One hundred and twenty-one fencers took part in the women’s event in Italy at the weekend including five from Great Britain.  Alice Campbell (V2D4), Heloise Hardie (V2D4) and Rachel Shaw (V3D2) progressed through the first round but Emily Beardmore (V0D6) and Sophie Peake (V0D5) did not.  Hardie lost out 15-6 to Draghici (ROU) in the round of 128 whilst Campbell was beaten 15-6 by Puglia (ITA) and Ciampalini (ITA) saw off Shaw 15-7 in the round of 64, ending British interest in the event.

Martina Favaretto (ITA) beat Stefani Deschner (USA) 15-10 in the final as Lara Bertola (ITA) and Lucrezia Grimaldi (ITA) settled for the bronze medals.

GB placings:  Shaw 52^nd, Campbell 63^rd, Hardie 92^nd, Beardmore 110^th & Peake 114^th.

Full individual results here.

Cadet Men’s Sabre – Modling

Fifteen British fencers took part in this event in Austria amongst a field of one hundred of seventy-nine.  Henry Talbot (V1D5) did not make it through the first round poule stage and Kieran Dowse (V1D4) and Alex Le Maitre (V0D5) did not make it through the second.  Alexander Boote, Thomas Jackson, William Jolley and Joe Pocknell lost in the round of 128 and were followed out by Jamie Craze, Barnaby Halliwell, Barnaby Holdsworth and Noah Matricciani in the round of 64.  In the round of 32 Hezer (TUR) beat James Edwards 15-10, Belkessam (FRA) knocked out Thomas Hamilton by the same score, Rivet (FRA) defeated Ethan Llewellyn 15-7 and De Ridder (BEL) overcame Henry Talbot 15-7.

Eliott Bibi (FRA) won the event, beating Karol Lademann (POL) 15-14 in the final as Atakan Islam Hezer (TUR) and Yalin Sahin (TUR) went home with the bronze medals.

GB placings:  Rooney 25^th, Hamilton 27^th, Edwards 30^th, Llewellyn 32^nd, Matricciani 37^th, Halliwell 39^th, Craze 44^th, Holdsworth 63^rd, Pocknell 69^th, Boote 76^th, Jackson 79^th, Jolley 81^st, Dowse 129^th, Le Maitre 141^st and Talbot 149^th.

Full individual results here.

Cadet Women’s Sabre – Modling

Thirteen British fencers took part in the women’s event in Austria amongst a field on one hundred and fifty-four.  Olivia Dunn (V1D5), Hannah O’Reilly (V0D6) and Molly Wood (V1D5) did not make it through the first round and were followed out after the second round by Jenna Bray (V2D3), Grace Grimshaw (V0D5), Phoebe Haslegrave (V2D3), Keely Rodda (V0D5) and Lily Wood (V0D5).  Georgia Timmins and Vidal Clemence went out in the round of 128, Sophia Potter fell in the 64 and Lizzie Moffatt lost in the round of 32.  In the round of 32 Maiai Fashokun beat Deblecker (FRA) 15-12 and then Sacricam (TUR) 15-8 before losing 15-13 to Hindasheva (UKR) in the quarterfinal.

Sarah-Camille Noutcha (FRA) won the event, beating Bianka Kern (HUN) 15-5 in the final.  Natalia Bugaevski (MDA) and Valeriia Hnidasheva (UKR) went home with the bronze medals.

GB placings:  Fashokun 8^th, Moffat 27^th, Potter 45^th, Vidal 92^nd, Timmins 97^th, Bray 98^th, Haslegrave 99^th, Grimshaw 114^th, L. Wood 115^th, Rodda 118^th, O’Reilly 121^st, Dunn 131^st & M. Wood 132^nd.

Full individual results here.