Battai and Keszei add Junior Team Gold to Cadet Title
Number one seeds Hungary clinched the Women’s Sabre Team title in Porec, Croatia just a few days after winning the Cadet equivalent.
In their line-up Hungary boasted two fencers from their title-winning Cadet team as Sugar Katinka Batai and Kira Keszei formed a team with Lica Szucs plus Fanni Potz-Nagy in reserve. They beat Poland 45-32 and Turkey 45-26 to make the final.
Number three seeds Russia fielded the individual silver medalist Dariya Drozd, Alina Kliuchnikova, and Mariya Zinyukhina with Valeria Kobzeva in reserve. They squeezed past France 45-41 before taking out number two seeds Romania 45-26 on route to the gold medal match.
Russia led after the first leg with Kliuchnikova winning 5-4 against Szucs. It turned out to be the only time in the match that Russia would be ahead. Hungary were 15-8 up after the first three legs and despite strong outings from Kliechnikova and Zinyukhina the Russians were 30-21 down with three fights to go. Going into the anchor leg Hungary had extended that lead by one to 40-30. Even though Russia’s anchor, Kliuchnikova put in another good performance Battai took Hungary to the title 45-35.
Turkey beat Romania 45-41 to secure the bronze medal.
