RICHARD KRUSE ACHIEVES 100^th INTERNATIONAL CAP

This weekend Richard Kruse will be competing at the St Petersburg Grand Prix in what will be his 100^th senior international cap for Great Britain.

Richard began fencing at the age of 10 at a Saturday fencing club and made his Olympic debut in Athens in 2004 where his 8^th place was the best by a British fencer since Barcelona in 1992.  He has represented GBR three times at the summer Olympics including London 2012.

Richard won his first international medal, silver, at the 2001 European U20 Championships and went on to win gold the following year.  In 2006, he won a silver medal at the European Championships and in 2009 Richard had his most successful season winning gold at the World Cup in Copenhagen, silver in Paris, then gold in Venice before going on to win silver at the European Championships.  Richard finished the season fourth in the world rankings – his highest end of season ranking.

In 2011, Richard won a silver medal at the World Cup in South Korea.  In 2012, he won bronze in Japan at the Wakayama Grand Prix, following this up with another European Championship Bronze medal in Legnano, Italy.  Last year, Richard was part of the bronze medal winning team at the European Championships in Budapest.  October 2013 saw Richard win his latest medal, a gold, at the World Combat Games in St Petersburg, Russia.

Richard has been part of the World Class Programme since 2007 and is a key member of the current men’s foil squad as they seek qualification for Rio in 2016.  Ziemowit Wojciechowski has coached him throughout his career.

Speaking on reaching this historic milestone Richard said, “This weekend I’m celebrating my 100th Cap representing Great Britain at senior international events.  I’m still not quite sure where all that time went but it is nevertheless a huge milestone in my career. “

Alex Newton, Performance Director said, “Richard is a brilliant technical fencer and an amazingly robust athlete.  He has been one of our most successful international fencers, but more impressively, for a significant and sustained period of time.  It is not easy to compete at the top level in sport but for him to have remained in the top 16 of our sport for the majority of his international career is testament to him as an athlete.”

Peter King, CEO said “Richard has been a fabulous ambassador for the sport and myself and the Board congratulate him on this great achievement.”