Lawrence makes top 16 at Xuzhou Epee World Cup

The 2014 senior international season continued at the weekend with a Women’s Epee World Cup in Xuzhou, China and a Men’s Epee World Cup in Tallin, Estonia.

Women’s Epee World Cup, Xuzhou

Corinna Lawrence joined a field of 151 athletes in China.  Winning four of her six first round fights meant that she had a bye through the first of the two-stage preliminary knockout round.  She then beat H. Lee (KOR) 15-11 to make the round of 64.  There she faced Olena Kryvystska (UKR) ranked 48^th in world.  A tense match followed but Lawrence progressed 14-13.  Next up was Giulia Rizz (ITA) who she beat 2-1 in a highly tactical battle.  World number 47, Anna Sivkova (RUS) was her next opponent and Lawrence fell to a 15-9 defeat to finish twelfth.  Emese Szasz (HUN) beat Ana Maria Branza (ROU) 14-9 for the gold medal as Tatiana Lugunova (RUS) and Yana Shemyakina (UKR) settled for bronze medals.

There was no British entry to the team event as twenty other teams fought for gold on the last day of the tournament.  China comfortably beat Italy 42-23 to take the gold medal and it was a surprise to some that the world number ten team, Sweden defeated world number one, Russia 45-34 for the bronze medal.

GB Individual Placing:  Lawrence 12th.

Full individual results are here.

Full team results are here.

Men’s Epee World Cup, Tallin

Four British fencers formed part of the massive field of 248 in Estonia at the weekend.  Greg Allen (V4D2) and Nick Perry (V4D2) made the first round cut but Tomas Curran-Jones (V2D4) and Paul Sanchez Lethem (V2D4) did not.  Both Allen and Perry earned byes through the first of three preliminary knockout fights to make the round of 64.  Unfortunately neither made it any further as Allen fell 15-10 to Kneip (GER) and Boczko (HUN) edged Perry out, 12-11.

Christoph Kneip (GER) went on to win the silver medal, losing to Gauthier Grumier (FRA) 15-11 in the final.  Fabian Kauter (SUI) and Paolo Pizzo (ITA) took the bronze medals.

Great Britain did not enter the team event as twenty-nine others fought for gold on the last day of the event.  Korea beat France 45-40 for the title as Germany defeated the Czech Republic 45-23 to take home the bronze medal.

GB Individual Placings:  Allen 118^th, Perry 119^th, Sanchez Lethem 205^th & Curran-Jones 207^th.

Full individual results are here.

Full team results are here.

The 2014/15 senior season continues this coming weekend with a Men’s Sabre World Cup in Budapest and a Women’s Sabre World Cup in Orleans.  It will be the first outing for the male sabre fencers this season after the event in Dakar was cancelled.