Today, we celebrate the EFC competitions held over the weekend, along with the remarkable successes of European athletes on the international stage at World Cups in Bern, Fujairah, and Oran. This weekend demonstrated Europe’s depth of talent, as cadet and senior fencers alike showcased their skill, determination, and sportsmanship.
CADET EUROPEAN CIRCUIT – ISTANBUL
In Istanbul, young fencers competed fiercely in the Cadet Men’s Sabre event, where Turkey’s Yigit Ayaz claimed victory, followed closely by Abbas Huseynov from Azerbaijan. Local talents also shone as Candeniz Berrak joined Ayaz on the podium with a third-place finish, shared with Greece’s Thomas Avraam Grollios. In the women’s category, Maya Sutton from Great Britain triumphed, with Anna Kalliopi Kourousi from Greece taking second place. Turkey’s Ece Ozturk also displayed her skills, securing a third-place finish alongside Egypt’s Khadija Aboualam.
The team events saw Turkey’s men’s sabre team capture the gold, with Bulgaria finishing as runners-up. A second Turkish team rounded out the top three. In the women’s team category, Great Britain emerged victorious, with Turkey securing silver and France claiming bronze with their second team.
CADET CIRCUIT – NUREMBERG
Nuremberg became the arena for Europe’s top cadet foilists. Hungary’s Roland Grosz displayed remarkable skill, earning the top spot in the Men’s Foil, while Eitan Lemberger from Israel claimed silver. Lauro Falchetto from Austria and Andrii Simonov from Ukraine tied for third. In the Women’s Foil, Israel’s Gili Kuritzky took gold, followed by Alara Atmaca of Turkey. Romania’s Alexandra Adoch and Czech Republic’s Katerina Illekova both secured bronze finishes.
In the team events, France demonstrated its depth in men’s foil by taking the top three positions, while in women’s foil, Turkey clinched gold, followed by Poland in second and Romania in third.
Senior World Cups
While these competitions were not hosted by the EFC, we would like to highlight the outstanding achievements of European athletes who represented their countries with distinction on the world stage.
Men’s Epee World Cup — Bern, Switzerland
The senior competition in Bern saw Hungary's 2022 world champion Mate Tamas Koch crowned champion in Men’s Epee, with Italy’s Giacomo Paolini taking second. Fellow Italian Matteo Galassi also made an impressive showing, finishing in third. In the team category, Hungary captured gold, while France secured a podium finish with bronze.
Women’s Epee World Cup — Fujairah, UAE
In Fujairah, European athletes took the entire podium in Women’s Epee, as seen in the striking podium photo. Italy’s Sara Maria Kowalczyk delivered an outstanding performance to claim first place, with her compatriot and recent Olympic team champion from Paris, Giulia Rizzi, taking silver. Estonia’s 44-year-old Irina Embrich, who claimed gold at the last European Championships, and France’s Lauren Rembi rounded out the podium with third-place finishes. In the team event, Estonia’s cohesive effort brought them the gold, while Italy captured silver.
Men’s Sabre World Cup — Oran, Algeria
French fencer Sebastien Patrice topped the podium in Men’s Sabre, with Radu Nitu from Romania finishing second. Spain’s Santiago Madrigal added to the excitement by securing a third-place finish. The Italian men’s team put on a strong performance, achieving third place in the team category.
Women’s Sabre World Cup — Oran, Algeria
Spain’s Lucia Martin-Portugues showcased her skills to earn second place in Women’s Sabre, while Hungary’s Sugar Katinka Battai and Spain’s Celia Perez Cuenca both claimed third. Hungary’s women’s team triumphed in the team event, with Poland’s team finishing as runners-up.
Looking ahead, the European fencing calendar offers another exciting weekend of competitions. On November 15, 2024, the U14 European Circuit for sabre will begin in Sofia, Bulgaria, welcoming male and female athletes in the U14 category. From November 16 to 17, cadet foilists will compete in Budapest, Hungary, while Sofia will also host the Cadet Circuit for sabre. Additionally, Tbilisi, Georgia, will hold the U14 European Circuit for foil. Let’s look forward to seeing more exceptional performances from Europe’s young fencing talents! #FencingFamily #EFC
