In an all-GBR Men’s Foil final, David Sosnov claimed the Junior European title and Mohammed Belbouab silver on 25th February in Tbilisi.
Both David and Mohammed started off well in the individual Junior Men’s Foil event on day six of the European Championships in Tbilisi. After winning all of his poule fights, David went into the direct elimination phase seeded third. Winning four of his six fights, Mohammed was seeded 25th. Both fencers earned a bye into the table of 64.
David’s first opponent was Alex Uria Farres (ESP), whom he quickly and decisively defeated with a 15-4 score. With equal confidence, he went on to defeat Daniil Matiash (UKR) 15-3. In the last 16, David defeated Roland Grosz (HUN) 15-9, followed by Michael Bergert (GER) 15-5. Having paved the way to the podium, he faced Dmitrii Chashchin (RUS) in the semi-final. Again, a skilled and self-assured performance earned him a 15-4 victory to go through to the gold medal match.
Meanwhile, Mohammed faced Poland’s Milosz Mozejko in his first knockout match. After defeating him 15-9, Mohammed went on to beat Yahor Rabtsau (BLR) – seeded eighth – 15-11 to go through to the table of 16. There, he defeated Dimitrios Gkikas (GRE) 15-12, making it to the quarterfinals. Facing Rostislav Khamdamov (RUS) – seeded first – Mohammed put on a confident showing throughout the match. With a stylish under-the-leg touch, Mohammed scored the final point necessary to secure a place on the podium, winning 15-12. His opponent in the semi-final was Henrik Barby (GER), who had just knocked out GBR teammate Callum Penman. Winning 15-12, Mohammed went through to the gold medal match against David Sosnov.
Now in an all-GBR final, David and Mohammed demonstrated respect and camaraderie while vying for the gold medal. Both fencers stayed neck-and-neck throughout, trading hits and putting up a strong effort. The final score was 15-13, in which David claimed the title of Junior European Champion and Mohammed the silver medal. Afterwards, both fencers celebrated their medal-winning performances.
David and Mohammed shared the podium with Henrik Barby (GER) and Dmitrii Chashchin (RUS), who each took bronze.
Following the medal ceremony, David reflected:
“It means everything. It’s not just our medals, it’s the medals of everyone at British Fencing, everyone who helped us at this championship. So many people involved, and I’m really happy that we could make it worth it.
On the people he’d like to thank for helping him reach this point, he added:
“All the coaches, Ziemek, Keith, Ben, Ollie the physio. Incredible, got me through the day. And everyone at British Fencing and my family.”
Mohammed added:
“It’s great, after my performance in cadets (placing sixth) I was hungry to get a medal and it was delivered today. I had no pressure, just going with the flow. I want to thank Ziemek, Ollie the physio, everyone at British Fencing for just supporting us as much as they can. I’d like to thank my family and SportsAid for getting me here. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to be in this country right now and wouldn’t be able to put on a performance like I did today.”
Well done also to Callum Penman, who earned a last eight finish and placed sixth overall.
This post is related to the BF 2030 Strategy goal to Deliver GBR success. You can read more about the Strategy here.
Both David and Mohammed are members of the GBR Pathway Programme, supporting athletes who are moving through a defined development pathway to success at the highest level of fencing.
Click here to view the full results from Tbilisi.
Related news: Lumineau & Tsang Take Bronze At Tbilisi Junior Euros 2026
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