Women’s Foil World Cup – Tauberbischofsheim

The weekend’s action began in Germany with Yvonne Chart, Catherine Cook, Chloe Dickson, Ayesha Fihosy, Natalia Sheppard and Dominique Szokolovics representing Great Britain in a field of 149 fencers.  Both Cook and Sheppard won three of their six first round matches earning themselves byes through the first fight of the two-stage preliminary knockout.  Fihosy also won three of her first six poule matches and progressed to the preliminary knockout stages along with Szokolovics who won two of her six first round matches.  Chart (V2D4) and Dickson (V0D6) did not make the first round cut.  In the first preliminary elimination round Fihosy defeated Hohenadel (GER) 15-7 and Szokolovics knocked out Camacho (MEX) 15-14 to join Cook and Sheppard in the round to make the 64.  Sadly, none of the British fencers made it through with Alexeeva (RUS) defeating Cook 15-7, Volpi (ITA) beating Fihosy 15-9, Zacke (GER) overcoming Sheppard 11-4 and Hong (KOR) taking out Szokolovics 15-11.

The 2009 Junior European Champion, Martina Batini (ITA) won the gold medal beating teammate, Elisa Di Francisca 15-9 in the final.  The bronze medals went to Ines Boubakri (TUR) and Hee Sook Jeon (KOR).

Great Britain (Chart, Dickson, Fihosy & Sheppard) was amongst the sixteen teams competing on Sunday.  Drawn against the number two seeds, France, it was inevitable that this young team lost 45-29 but they showed some promise.  In the placings matches they narrowly lost 30-35 to Canada, beat Hong Kong 45-14 before losing 38-24 to Mexico to finish fourteenth.

GB placings: Sheppard 77^th, Cook 78^th, Fihosy 84^th, Szokolovics 94^th, Chart 120^th & Dickson 142^nd.

Full individual results here.

Full team results here.

Women’s Sabre World Cup – Antalya

Four British women were entered into this tournament joining a field of 147.  They all made the first round cut – Joanna Hutchison (V3D3), Zoe Robinson (V2D4), Alice Watson (V2D4) and Sophie Williams (V2D4).  Hutchison earned a bye through the first of the two-part preliminary knockout fights and Williams progressed through that stage, beating Kusian (GER) 15-9.  Robinson fell 15-14 to Page (CAN) though and Navarria (ITA) got the better of Watson 15-7.  In the second preliminary knockout fights Pliego (MEX) took out Williams 15-10 but Hutchison progressed to the second day of the event by beating Kikuchi (JPN) 15-6.  There she faced world number 11, Galiakbarova (RUS) who beat her 15-11.

Cecillia Berder (FRA) continued her fine season by beating Yuliya Gavrilova (RUS) 15-12 in the gold medal match.  It was back-to-back bronze medals for Rosella Gregorio (ITA) who shared the position with Chen Shen (CHN).

Great Britain was not part of the 20-strong field in the team event that was won by the USA who beat Russia 45-44 in an incredible final.  Ukraine beat Poland 45-35 to take the bronze medal.

GB individual placings: Hutchison 57^th, Williams 93^rd, Watson 106^th and Robinson 108^th.

Full individual results here.

Full team results here.

Men’s Foil Grand Prix – Venice

A field of 163 took to the pistes in Venice at the weekend including eight from Great Britain.  Due to his world ranking, James Davis had a bye to the round of 64.  Tom Hendrie (V2D4) and Jamie Fitzgerald (V0D6) did not make the first round cut but Kristjan Archer (V3D3), Richard Kruse (V2D4), Rhys Melia (V2D4), Marcus Mepstead (V4D2) and Alex Tofalides (V4D2) all reached the two-stage preliminary knockout fights.  Mepstead earned himself a bye through the first fight whilst Kruse defeated Shami (ISR) 15-12 and Archer progressed by beating Zalaba (HUN) 15-11.  Melia lost a very close match, 15-14 to Syrachynskyy (UKR) and Tofalides fell 13-12 to D. Kim (KOR).  In the second elimination fight Archer showed great promise but just lost, 15-14 to Sanita (ITA).  Kruse took out Byk (BLR) 15-9 and Mepstead edged past Wohlgemuth (AUT) 15-14, so both joined Davis on the second day of the event.

In the round of 64 Davis beat Saito (JPN) 15-9 but was the sole British fencer to progress as Baldini beat Kruse 15-5 and Lefort (FRA) knocked Mepstead out 15-4.  In the round of 32 Davis faced Majewski (POL) and the tightest of matches followed with Davis just coming out on top 15-14.  Valerio Aspromonte (ITA) stood in the way of Davis making the quarterfinal but he put on a dominant display to beat the Italian 15-8.  His day ended in the round of 8 where Alexander Choupenitch (CZE) made the medal matches by winning 15-12.

Jianfai Ma (CHN) took the gold medal in stunning fashion beating Enzo Lefort (FRA) 15-4.  The bronze medals went to Alexander Choupenitch and Junhyuk Kwak (KOR).

GB individual placings: Davis 7^th, Mepstead 53^rd, Kruse 63^rd, Archer 86^th, Tofalides 97^th, Melia 116^th, Hendrie 123^rd & Fitzgerald 150^th.

Full individual results here.

The senior circuit continues this weekend coming with a Men’s Epee Grand Prix in Vancouver, a Men’s foil World Cup in Bonn, a Women’s Foil World Cup in Turin and both a Men’s Sabre World Cup and Women’s Sabre Grand Prix in Moscow.