Nineteen-year-old Italian, Giulia Amore won the women’s foil event at the Eden Cup at the Lee Valley Athletics Centre in London on Friday November 4th, beating the USA’s Zanda Rhodes in the final. The Junior (U20) World Cup was the first international event to be held in the UK since travel restrictions were eased after the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a field of 161 fencers, Amore advanced through the poule stage winning all of her fights dropping just five hits. Ranked third for the direct elimination, she beat Ebba Ollson (SWE) 15-2, Jeon Daeun (KOR) 15-3, Antonina Lachman (POL) 15-7, Aurora Grandis (ITA) 15-12 and Lior Druck (ISR) 15-11 to make the semi-finals. There she faced Reina Iwamoto (JPN) and after a tight start, pulled away to win 15-8.
Rhodes made an even better start dropping just three hits in her poule earning top seed for the knockout stages. She went on to beat Han Chaewon (KOR) 15-3, Iimura Ayano (JPN) 15-2, Cyrielle Darde (FRA) 15-8, Yunjia Zhang (CAN) 15-4 and Jessica Guo (CAN) on her way to the top four. Rhodes dominated the distance in her semi-final against Karolina Zurawska (POL), winning 15-2.
After exchanging the first few hits of the final in the middle of the piste, Amore opened up the piste against Rhodes. Trailing, the American fought back hard in the closing stages of the first period but went into the break 9-6 down. Amore continued her slow pressing attack in the second period whilst using distance to absorb any attacks from Rhodes to lead 13-10. Rhodes fought back by not conceding as much ground as she had done previously and got back to 14-13 down. Maintaining her composure Amore claimed the title with an attack in the middle to win 15-13.
Carolina Stutchbury was Great Britain’s top placed athlete finishing eighteenth after losing to eventual bronze medallist Zurawska 9-8.
Full results here.
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