The fencing world started the year off with a bang, as some of the most talented young fencers from around the world gathered for the first important appointments of the year. These competitions not only revealed the remarkable skills and determination of the athletes but also provided a sneak peek into the future of this sport. Let's delve into the highlights from the U23 Berlin Men and Women's Epee, the Cadet Circuits in Bratislava, Poznan, and Barcelona, as well as the Senior GP in Tunis.
The U23 European Circuit held in Berlin, Germany brought together nearly 400 fencers, both men and women in epee, for an intense two-day competition. In the men's category, it was Czech Republic's Jan Kuf who claimed the top spot, Matteo Galassi from Italy came in second place, while Fabrizio Di Marco from Italy and Sven Vineis from Switzerland secured third place finishes. On the women's side, Laura Katalin Wetzker from Germany emerged as the champion, with Alexandra Ehler from Germany following her with the silver medal. Sofija Prosina from Latvia took the third spot along with Alexandra Predescu from Romania.
In Bratislava, the Cadet Circuit saw impressive performances from young fencers in epee and foil categories. In men's epee, it was Elijah Imrek from the United States who emerged victorious, followed by Ole Petersen from Germany. Mate Balint Antal from Hungary, and Kerkko Jarvi from Finland got third places. In the women's epee category, Anna Maksymenko from Ukraine claimed the first position, and she was closely followed by Sharika Gajjala from the USA. Linnea Eriksson from Sweden, and Victoria Zhang from the USA got third places. Moving on to men's foil, Riccardo Sisinni from the United States came out on top, with Nickolas Rusadze also from the United States taking the second spot. Djibril Mbaye from Italy and Roy Graham from the United States both shared the third spot.
139 teams, an impressive number, took part at the same event in three categories - men's and women' epee and men's foil. In the men's epee team event, the United States of America dominated, with their first team getting the gold medal and fifth team winning the silver medal. Third place went to Italy. In the women's epee team event, Ukraine claimed the first position, followed by Hungary and the United States of America first team. In the cadet men's foil team event, it was once again the United States of America who came out on top, with their first, third, and second teams securing the top three positions.
The Cadet Circuit in Poznan, Poland also showcased the talent and skills of young fencers in women's foil. Lavender Lee from the USA claimed the gold medal in the individual event, while her fellow countrywoman, Caterina Fedeli, secured the silver. Kaitlyn Tan from the United States and Olivia Cauvet from France both won third place. In the team event, the United States of America triumphed in first place, followed by Poland in second place and the United States' second team in third place.
At the Cadet Circuit Barcelona, both the men's and women's sabre events showcased intense competition among talented fencers. In the men's sabre individual category, Valerio Reale of Italy emerged as the champion, with Christian Murtas, also from Italy, securing the second position. Daniel Berkeszi from Hungary and Leonardo Reale from Italy shared the third-place honours. In the women's sabre individual event, Vittoria Mocci from Italy claimed the gold medal, while Brigitte Racz from Hungary secured the silver. The bronze medals were awarded to Hui Xin Sezille from Great Britain and Maya Sutton, also from Great Britain. Additionally, the men's sabre team competition witnessed fierce rivalry among 28 teams. Italy's team 3 clinched the top spot, with Germany's team 1 taking second place, and Hungary securing the third position. The women's sabre team competition saw Great Britain's team 1 emerge as the champions. Hungary secured the second position, while Germany's team 1 took home the bronze medal.
Tunis GP
Lucia Martin-Portugues from Spain emerged as the victorious fencer at the Tunis Grand Prix, clinching her fifth medal in the world cups and grand prix events since 2022. The remarkable fact is that this victory marks her second medal in Tunis, suggesting a special affinity for the place. The Eurofencing community extends heartfelt congratulations to Lucia for her well-deserved gold medal. Similarly, our applause goes to Nisanur Erbil from Turkey, who secured the silver medal, and Chiara Mormile from Italy, who earned the bronze. We also commend Aron Szilagyi and Sandro Bazadze for their bronze medals in the men's category. To all the medallists, we offer our warm congratulations. Let us continue to support and encourage European athletes on their fencing journey.
