Report from the Foil World Cups in Algiers and Bonn
The senior international season continued at the weekend with foil events in Algeria and Germany
Women’s Foil World Cup – Algiers
A relatively small field of eighty-six fencers took part in the foil World Cup in Algiers including Lisa McKenzie and Natalia Sheppard from Great Britain. Sheppard won four of her five first round fights, which earned her a bye through to the round of 64. McKenzie was unable to win a fight in a tough pool which meant that she missed the cut. Sheppard went on to beat Karamete (TUR) 15-8 before facing the World number one, Arianna Errigo (ITA) in the round of 32. The British fencer’s promising performance was not quite enough as the Italian progressed 15-12.
Errigo eventually went on to take the silver medal, losing 15-14 to Lee Kiefer (USA) in the gold medal match. Two Russians completed the podium positions – Inna Deriglazova and Aida Shanaeva.
Just ten teams took part on Sunday with Italy taking the gold medal 45-40 in a tough battle with Russia. Germany edged a tight bronze medal match (38-35) with the USA to secure third place.
GB individual placings: Sheppard 26th & McKenzie 81st.
Click here for full individual results.
Click here for full team results.
Men’s Foil World Cup – Bonn
Two hundred and eleven fencers took part in this event including nine from Great Britain. Laurence Halsted (V3D3), Rhs Melia (V4D2), Marcus Mepstead (V4D2), Ben Peggs (V3D3), Amol Rattan (V2D4) and Alex Tofalides (V4D2) progressed through the first round, all doing enough to earn byes through the first of three preliminary direct elimination fights. Kristjan Archer only managed one victory from six fights so missed the first round cut. In the second preliminary Lacasta (ESP) defeated Halsted 15-12, Samandi (TUN) beat Melia 15-12, Sido (FRA) edged Mepstead out 15-14, Pivovarov (RUS) saw off Rattan 15-9 and Y. Son (KOR) knocked Tofalides out 15-8. Only Peggs made it any further beating Scavasin (BRA) 15-10 and Fujino (JPN) 15-10 to make the round of 64 – joining James Davis and Richard Kruse who both had byes through the preliminary qualification stages.
Whilst Peggs was just outdone (15-13) by Imboden (USA) in the round of 64, Davis dominated Pauty (FRA), winning 15-6 and Kruse took out Shi (CHN) 15-10. In the round of 32 Davis beat Cheung (HKG) 15-13 but Kruse was beaten 14-13 in a priority minute by Kwak (KOR). In the following round Davis faced the resurgent Ota (JPN) and was just beaten, 15-14. Yuki Ota went on to take the silver medal, losing 15-12 in the final to Andrea Cassara. Jeremy Cadot (FRA) and Alessio Foconi (ITA) went home with the bronze medals.
Great Britain was one of twenty-one entries to the team event and victory over Canada (45-25) in the round of 32 meant that they faced Korea in the round of sixteen. An impressive 45-35 victory put them into the quarterfinals against the USA. Another tremendous match saw the team from the USA go through but only just – 42-41. Great Britain went on to beat Egypt, 45-35 and China 45-43 to finish fifth.
France continued their strong run of form beating Russia 45-43 to take the gold medal whilst the USA made it back-to-back victories over Italy to take the bronze medal.
GB Individual Placing: Davis 12th, Kruse 19th, Peggs 61st, Melia 101st, Tofalides 103rd, Mepstead 107th, Halsted 113th, Rattan 146th & Archer 181st.
Click here for full individual results.
Click here for full team results.
The 2014/15 senior season continues this weekend with epee World Cup events in Buenos Aires and Vancouver.
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