International Season Kicks Off with Two Sabre World Cups

The international season began at the weekend with sabre World Cups in Georgia and Venezuela.

Men’s Sabre – Tblisi

One hundred and fifty-six fencers took part in this event including ten from Great Britain.  Harry Boteler (V3D3), William Deary (V3D3), Jacob Gander-Compton (V2D4), Curtis Miller (V3D3) and JJ Webb (V2D4) all did enough to make the first round cut but the stand out performance came from Alex Crutchett (V5D1) meaning that he automatically qualified for the round of 64.  Soji Aiyenuro (V2D4) Brynmor Saunders (V1D5) and Kirk Slankard (V2D4) were eliminated after the first round and James Honeybone was forced to abandon.  In the two-stage preliminary knockout Boteler, Deary, Gander-Compton, Miller and Webb all lost their first fights to Krasilnikov (RUS) 15-4, Tokunan (JPN) 15-7, Yildirim (TUR) 15-11, Prosuka (RUS) 15-10 and Zatko (FRA) 15-8, respectively.  Crutchett was unable to progress past the round of 64 on day two of the event as he fell 15-13 to Amer (EGY).

Alexey Yakimenko (RUS) took the first title of the season beating Tiberiu Dolniceanu (ROU) 15-8 in the final.  The bronze medals went to Nicolas Limbach (GER) and Andriy Yagodka (UKR).

In the team event Aiyenuro, Crutchett, Miller and Webb took part for Great Britain in a field of twenty-four.  They beat Kazakhstan 45-32 in the round of 32 before losing to Italy 45-26.  In the placings matches they lost 45-41 to China and 45-40 to Ukraine before beating Hong Kong 45-37 to take fifteenth place.  The USA won the event beating France 45-38 in the final.  Germany beat Romania 45-27 to take the bronze medal.

GB individual placings:  Crutchett 44^th, Deary 101^st, Miller 106^th, Boteler 109^th, Gander-Compton 115^th, Webb 116^th, Aiyenuro 123^rd, Slankard 125^th, Saunders 137^th & Honeybone 156^th.

Click here for complete individual results.

Click here for complete team results.

Women’s Sabre – Caracus

Katherine Kempe was Great Britain’s sole representative in a field of on hundred and thirty fencers in Venezuela.  A fabulous first round saw her win five of her six fights which was enough to earn her a bye through the first fight of a two-stage preliminary knockout.  She went on to beat Dell’Aquila (TPE) 15-13 to make the round of 64.  There she faced S. Choi (KOR) and lost 15-10.  Mariel Zagunis (USA) beat Jiyeon Seo (KOR) 15-8 to take the title.  Manon Brunet (FRA) and Rosella Gregorio (ITA) went home with the bronze medals.

Great Britain did not take part in the team event which saw seventeen countries fight for the title.  Russia overwhelmed Ukraine in the final, beating them 45-22 whilst Poland beat Italy 45-38 for the bronze medal.

GB individual placings:  Kempe 39^th.   

Click here for full individual results.

Click here for full team results.

The 2015/16 senior season continues this coming weekend with a men’s Foil World Cup in San Jose and a women’s Foil World Cup in Cancun.