Kruse & Nichols make 16s in Novi Sad
A full complement of British fencers headed to Serbia’s second largest city, Novi Sad, to take part in this year’s Senior European Championships.
Day 1 – 16 June
Individual Men’s Foil
Seventy-nine fencers took part in the first event including four from Great Britain. Richard Kruse (V6D0), James Davis (V5D1), Marcus Mepstead (V5D1) and Ben Peggs (V2D3) all progressed through the first round. Kruse earned a bye through the round of 64 and was joined in the 32 by Davis who beat Bodo (ROU) 15-11. However, Kahl (GER) beat Mepstead 15-7 and Lefort defeated Peggs 15-4. Kruse went on to beat Janda (POL) 15-8 in the round of 32 but Davis lost 15-13 to Pogrebniak (UKR). Avola ended Kruse’s day with a 15-2 victory in the round of 16.
Russian Alexey Cheremisinov defeated Daniele Garozzo of Italy in the gold medal match as another Italian, Giorgio Avola shared the bronze medal position with Alexander Choupenitch of the Czech Republic.
British placings: Kruse 9th, Davis 18th, Mepstead 33rd & Peggs 48th.
Individual Women’s Sabre
There were four British fencers in the field of fifty-eight in this event. Aliya Itzkowitz (V3D3) was the only one to progress through the first round as Kate Daykin, Sarah Jane Hampson and Caitlin Maxwell were eliminated. A tough round of 64 draw for Itzkowitz against Velikaya saw her go out 15-9.
Sofya Velikaya made it two gold medals for Russia on day one of the Championships. She beat French fencer, Cecilia Berder in the final as Marta Puda of Poland and Velikaya’s teammate, Svetlana Sheveleva shared the final spot on the podium.
British placings: Itzkowitz 35th, Maxwell 48th, Daykin 50th & Hampson 54th=.
Individual Women’s Sabre Results
Day 2 – 17 June
Individual Men’s Epee
There were four British fencers in the field of one hundred and four in this event. Harrison Nichols (V3D3) and Philip Marsh (V2D4) progressed through the first round but Gregory Allen (V1D5) and Paul Sanchez-Lethem (V1D5) were eliminated. Nichols earned a bye through the round of 128 but Marsh fell 15-10 to Loyola (BEL). Nichols went on to beat Timoce (ROU) 15-11 and Ibanez (ESP) 14-13 before losing to Cimini (ITA) 15-9 in the round of 16.
Yannick Borel of France claimed his third European title in a row, beating Estonia’s Nikolai Novosjolov in the final. Ukraine’s Bogdan Nikishin shared the bronze medal position with Richard Schmidt of Germany.
British placings: Nichols 14th, Marsh 72nd, Sanchez-Lethem 84th & Allen 92nd=.
Individual Women’s Foil
The field of sixty-one in this event included four from Great Britain. Kate Beardmore (V3D3), Katie Smith (V2D3), Ayesha Fihosy (V2D4) and Yvonne Chart (V2D4) all made it through the first round poules. That was as far as they could go because in the round of 64 Oliveira (POR) beat Beardmore 15-10, Volpi (ITA) defeated Fihosy 15-5, Chart was beaten 15-3 by Kirschen (GER) and Jelinska (POL) saw off Smith 15-11.
Inna Deriglazova of Russia picked up her second European title by beating Arianna Errigo of Italy in the gold medal match. Poland’s Martyna Synoradzka and Italian Alice Volpi shared third place.
British placings: Beardmore 37th, Smith 40th, Chart 41st & Fihosy 43rd.
Individual Women’s Foil Results
Day 3 – 18 June
Individual Women’s Epee
There were four British entries in the field of eighty-four in this event. Katrina Smith Taylor (V4D2) progressed through the first round but Julie Henson (V1D5), Danielle Lawson (V1D5) and Hannah Nesbitt (V0D6) did not. Smith Taylor went out in the round of 64, 13-7 to Murtazaeva (RUS).
Estonia had a great event as Katrina Lehis took the title from teammate Kristina Kuusk, whilst Julia Beljajeva shared bronze with Russian Violetta Kolobova.
British placing: Smith Taylor 37th, Henson 70th=, Lawson 78th & Nesbitt 83rd.
Individual Women’s Epee Results
Individual Men’s Sabre
The field of sixty in this event included four from Great Britain. Curtis Miller (V5D1), Jonathan Webb (V3D3), James Honeybone (V3D3) and Will Deary (V1D4) all made the first round. Miller benefited from a bye through the round of 64 and was joined in the 32 by Webb who beat Kisel (BLR) 15-14, Honeybone who defeated Lokhanov (RUS) 15-13 and Deary who impressively overcame Montano (ITA) 15-11. Honeybone went on to beat Berre (ITA) 15-13 but Shengelia (GEO) took out Miller 15-13, Webb fell 15-8 to Danilenko (RUS) and Curatoli (ITA) beat Deary 15-10. Honeybone faced Curatoli in the next round and was defeated 15-10.
Max Hartung of Germany defended the European title he won last year, beating Russian Kamil Ibragimov in the final. Danilenko of Russia shared the bronze medal position with Georgian, Sandro Bazadze.
British placings: Honeybone 15th, Miller 18th, Webb 28th & Deary 32nd.
Individual Men’s Sabre Results
Day 4 – 19 June
Men’s Team Foil
There were fourteen teams in this event included Great Britain (James Davis, Marcus Mepstead and Ben Peggs with Keith Cook as reserve). They came from behind to beat Hungary 44-43 in the round of 16 before losing 45-27 to Italy in the quarterfinals. In the placings matches the team lost 45-36 to Germany before beating Belarus 45-41 to finish seventh.
Russia beat Italy to the gold medal whilst Poland defeated an out of sorts France to win the bronze medal.
Women’s Team Sabre
The British team (Kate Daykin, Aliya Itzkowitz and Caitlin Maxwell with Sarah Jane Hampson as reserve) lined up in a field of thirteen for this event. They lost out 42-27 to Ukraine in the round of 16. In the placings matches the team beat Serbia 45-14, then lost 45-25 to Turkey before beating Bulgaria 45-37 to finish eleventh.
It was double gold for Russia on day four as they defeated Ukraine to secure the title in Novi Sad whilst France beat Italy to the bronze.
Day 5 – 20 June
Men’s Team Epee
The British Team (Philip Marsh, Harrison Nichols and Paul Sanchez-Lethem with Gregory Allen in reserve) lined up in a field of twenty. They lost 45-32 to Poland in the round of 32 to finish nineteeth.
Russia claimed their third team gold medal beating France in the final as Italy overcame Switzerland to secure the bronze medal.
Women’s Team Foil
Great Britain (Kate Beardmore, Ayesha Fihosy and Katie Smith with Yvonne Chart in reserve) were in a field twelve in this event. They lost 45-30 to Poland in the round of 16 before losing 45-37 to Romania and then beating Serbia 45-39, to finish eleventh.
Italy beat Russia for the women’s team foil title as France fended off Germany for the bronze medal.
Day 6 – 21 June
Women’s Team Epee
Great Britain (Julie Henson, Danielle Lawson and Katrina Smith Taylor with Hannah Nesbitt in reserve) were in a field of seventeen for this event. They lost to Estonia in the round of 16 and went on to lose 45-36 to Spain and 45-37 to Israel before beating Serbia 45-39 to finish fifteenth.
France won the event beating Poland in the final as Estonia took the bronze medal by beating Ukraine.
Men’s Team Sabre
Will Deary, James Honeybone and Jonathan Webb with Curtis Miller as reserve, lined up for Great Britain in this event in a field of twelve. They lost 45-40 to Ukraine in the round of 16 before beating Serbia 45-10 and Belarus 45-44 to claim ninth place.
Hungary took the gold medal beating Italy in the final as Germany took out Romania to claim the bronze medal.
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