The GBR Men’s Foil Team closed out eight days of competition at the 2026 Cadet & Junior European Championships in Tbilisi with a bronze medal.
On the final day of the Cadet & Junior European Championships 2026, Mohammed Belbouab, David Kelly, Callum Penman and David Sosnov added another medal to the GBR collection in the Junior Men’s Foil team event.
Seeded second, the team earned a bye to take them straight to the table of 16. Their first match was against Belarus, with David Sosnov, David Kelly and Callum in action to secure a confident 45-26 victory. Their next fight against Slovakia in the last eight began neck-and-neck; yet GBR soon took the lead to secure a comfortable final score of 45-26, taking them to the semi-final.
Now one step closer to a medal, the GBR line-up of Callum, David Sosnov and Mohammed went up against France. GBR started off strong, but strong legs from Robinet and Anane brought the fight in France’s favour. Changing their strategy, David Kelly came on for Mohammed. Ultimately, despite the team’s best efforts, they were unable to take the score back and were defeated 31-45.
Determined to secure a place on the podium, GBR faced off against Hungary for the bronze medal. With an initial line-up of David Sosnov, Mohammed and Callum, the team built up a comfortable lead. Strong legs from Bodor and Grosz put pressure on the team, but GBR remained resilient, refusing to give up their lead. The team again switched fencers, this time Callum for David Kelly. The score was 37-36 in GBR’s favour going into the final leg, and a tense battle ensued between David Sosnov and Bodor. Scoring eight points, David clinched a 45-43 victory and GBR won the bronze medal.
After the medal ceremony, Callum said:
“Started off with difficult matches with Belarus and Slovakia, and we came away with two really good wins. We lost against France, but we managed to collect ourselves and win the bronze which was really good to see.”
David Sosnov added:
“It means a lot. We’re happy, but not fully satisfied. It’s a testament to our high standards that we’re not satisfied with just bronze. We’ll push harder at Worlds.”
David Kelly reflected:
“It feels great, especially the consistency, especially from last year, just to come back and medal.”
GBR foil coach Keith Cook reflected on their performance:
“What a fantastic experience it’s been for these guys as well. There’s been a lot going on behind the scenes with Ollie, our physio; with Pat, Denise, who have been helping as well; Ziemek, amazing having him in the box with us as well. All those people behind the scenes like British Fencing, Sport England, and all of the people who have been helping them on their journeys. An amazing day it’s been.”
The bronze medal concludes a successful European Championships for GBR, with David Sosnov being crowned Junior European Champion and Mohammed Belbouab winning silver in the individual Junior Men’s Foil event two days earlier. Tristan Lumineau and Amelie Tsang also claimed bronze in the individual Junior Men’s Epee and Women’s Foil events, respectively.
This post is related to the BF 2030 Strategy goal to Deliver GBR success. You can read more about the Strategy here.
Both Tristan and Amelie are members of the GBR Pathway Programme, which supports 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
Gold For Sosnov & Silver For Belbouab At Junior Euros 2026
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