BUSAN, Korea, March 17-19, 2023—Italy’s world champion Alessio Foconi and USA’s Olympic champion Lee Kiefer won gold medals at the 2023 Busan Foil Grand Prix. The event took place at the Indoor Gymnasium in the Busan Spo1 Park, with 155 men and 128 women participating in the competition.
In the final bout of men’s individual foil, Foconi faced Hong Kong, China’s Olympic champion Ka Long Cheung, winning with a 15-13 score. Cheung won against USA’s Gerek Meinhardt in the semifinal round, 15-12, while Foconi defeated France’s Maxime Pauty, 15-4. Of note, Japan’s Takahiro Shikine beat France’s two-time world champion Enzo Lefort in the round of 16, 15-12, before being eliminated in the quarterfinals by Cheung, 15-12. Also in the round of 16, Meinhardt won against teammate and world champion Miles Chamley-Watson, 15-13.
In the final bout of women’s individual foil, Kiefer faced Japan’s Sera Azuma, winning with a 15-3 score. Azuma won against Italy’s Martina Sinigalia in the semifinal round, 15-12, while Kiefer defeated Italy’s world champion Alice Volpi, 15-12.
Final rankings in men’s individual foil included Alessio Foconi (ITA, gold), Ka Long Cheung (HKG, silver), Gerek Meinhardt (USA, bronze), Maxime Pauty (FRA, bronze), Alexander Massialas (USA), Alexander Choupenitch (CZE), Takahiro Shikine (JPN) and Andrzej Rzadkowski (POL).
Final rankings in women’s individual foil included Lee Kiefer (USA, gold), Sera Azuma (JPN, silver), Martina Sinigalia (ITA, bronze), Alice Volpi (ITA, bronze), Leonie Ebert (GER), Anne Sauer (GER), Martina Batini (ITA) and Zander Rhodes (USA).
Complete and official results for the event may be found here on the FIE web site. For more exciting world fencing news and features, check out the YouTube FIE Fencing Channel.