Senior European Championships 2012 – Day 1
Yakimenko and Gherman strike gold on the first day
It was a feast of Men’s Sabre and Women’s Epee on day one of the Senior European Championships in Legnano.
Men’s Sabre
The European Championships 2012 began in Legnano Italy with the Men’s Sabre individual event as 56 fencers including James Honeybone took to the piste.
Honeybone did not make a good start and finished the first round V2D4. Unfortunately this was not enough for him to survive the cut and he finished 45th.
The first semi-final saw Buikevich (BLR) take on Yakimenko (RUS). The Russian stormed to a 4-0 lead but was pegged back to 8-6 by the break. He pulled away again and ran out an easy winner 15-9. The other semi-final was between Apithy (FRA) and Yagodka (UKR). A tight first period saw the Frenchman leading just 8-7 but Yagodka took the initiative at the beginning of the second and at one point led 10-8. Apithy was not to be denied a spot in the final and scored 7 hits in a row to take it 15-10. In the final Yakimenko (RUS) went on the attack from the start and led 8-5 at the break. Apithy (FRA) put up a strong fight but kept stepping into the Russian’s distance with his arm back and gifting him hits. Yakimenko successfully defended his European crown winning 15-12.
GB individual placings: Honeybone 45th.
Women’s Epee
The second event of the championships was the Women’s Epee individual event where 75 fencers including Mary Cohen and Corinna Lawrence fought to become European Champion 2012.
Lawrence finished the first round V4D2 and Cohen V3D3 meaning they both made the cut for the incomplete round of 64. Cohen (ranked 44th) and faced London (ISR). She fell behind by a couple of hits going into the final period and was forced to chase. She put up a great fight but ultimately lost 15-7. Lawrence (ranked 18th) and faced Takacs (HUN). This was a much tighter affair but the Hungarian edged it 15-14.
The first semi-final between Gherman (ROU) and Shutova (RUS) started calmly with the Romanian leading 4-3 at the first break. She then opened up a 9-4 lead by the second break and although Shutova scored 8 hits in the third, she fell 15-12. In the second semi-final Maroiu (ROU) took on Sozanska (GER) and at the first break it was level at 3-3. Maroiu took a valuable lead into the third period 7-4 and never looked back taking it 15-13 to make it an all Romanian final. The final was a very one-sided affair with Gherman successfully employing a combination of hits to the inside of her compatriot’s wrist and beats both on the attack and defence to give her enough time to score with single lights. She ran away with the European crown 15-6.
GB Individual placings: Lawrence 36th, Cohen 49th.
The second day will feature individual events in Men’s Foil and Women’s Sabre.
Sign up to receive regular highlights from the exciting world of fencing - celebrating the best of our unique and inspiring community
