PLOVDIV, Bulgaria, June 15-18, 2023 – The 2023 European Senior Individual Fencing Championships have finished, including six men’s and women’s individual events in epee, foil and sabre. The event took place at the Plovdiv Kolodrum, with 393 total fencers participating from 33 countries. Italy won the medal count, including 10 overall (3 gold, 3 silver, 4 bronze), followed by France with 7 (2 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze) and Georgia (1 gold).
Note: The European Senior Team Fencing Championships will take place in Krakow, Poland, from June 28 – 30.
Day 1. In individual men’s epee Italy’s Davide Di Veroli faced teammate Federico Vismara in the final bout, winning with a 15-14 score. In the semifinal round, Vismara won against Poland’s Mateusz Antkiewicz, 15-7, while Di Veroli defeated Germany’s Marco Brinkmann, 15-12.
In individual women’s foil, Italy’s Martina Batini faced her teammate, Martina Favaretto, in the final bout, winning with a final score of 0-0 as Favaretto had to withdraw due to an injury. In the semifinal round, Favaretto won against teammate and world champion Alice Volpi, 15-9, while Batini defeated teammate Francesca Palumbo, 15-12. Of note, Favaretto beat France’s world champion Ysaora Thibus in the table of 16, 15-11.
Individual Men’s Epee (88 fencers)
1. Davide Di Veroli (ITA, gold)
2. Federico Vismara (ITA, silver)
3. Mateusz Antkiewicz (POL, bronze)
3. Marco Brinkmann (GER, bronze)
5. Tibor Andrasfi (HUN)
6. Jonathan Svensson (SWE)
7. Yordan Galabov (BUL)
8. David Van Nunen (NED)
Individual Women’s Foil (56 fencers)
1. Martina Batini (ITA, gold)
2. Martina Favaretto (ITA, silver)
3. Alice Volpi (ITA, bronze)
3. Francesca Palumbo (ITA, bronze)
5. Julia Walczyk-Klimaszyk (POL)
6. Morgane Patru (FRA)
7. Ariadna Castro (ESP)
8. Hanna Lyczbinska (POL)
Day 2. In individual men’s sabre, Georgia’s Sandro Bazadze faced Hungary’s world champion Andras Szatmari in the final bout, winning with a 15-11 score. In the semifinal round, Szatmari won against France’s Sebastien Patrice, 15-14, while Bazadze defeated Türkiye’s Enver Yildirim, 15-7.
In individual women’s epee, France’s Alexandra Louis Marie faced Italy’s world champion Mara Navarria in the final bout, winning with a 15-8 score. In the semifinal round, Louis Marie won against teammate Auriane Mallo-Breton, 15-13, while Navarria defeated Estonia’s Nelli Differt, 15-10. Of note, Estonia’s Kristina Kuusk beat Italy’s two-time world champion Rossella Fiamingo in the round of 16, 11-10, before being eliminated by Louis Marie in the quarterfinals, 15-5.
Individual Men’s Sabre (50 fencers)
1. Sandro Bazadze (GEO, gold)
2. Andras Szatmari (HUN, silver)
3. Enver Yildirim (TÜR, bronze)
3. Sebastien Patrice (FRA, bronze)
5. Matyas Szabo (GER)
6. Krzysztof Kaczkowski (POL)
7. Bolade Apithy (FRA)
8. Maxime Pianfetti (FRA)
Individual Women’s Epee (78 fencers)
1. Alexandra Louis Marie (FRA, gold)
2. Mara Navarria (ITA, silver)
3. Nelli Differt (EST, bronze)
3. Auriane Mallo-Breton (FRA, bronze)
5. Anna Kun (HUN)
6. Marie-Florence Candassamy (FRA)
7. Kristina Kuusk (EST)
8. Angela Krieger (SUI)
Day 3. In individual men’s foil, Italy’s Filippo Macchi faced France’s two-time world champion Enzo Lefort in the final bout, winning with a 15-14 score. In the semifinal round, Lefort won against teammate Rafael Savin, 15-10, while Macchi defeated teammate Guillaume Bianchi, 15-13. Of note, Savin beat Italy’s Olympic champion Daniele Garozzo in the quarterfinals, 15-9, while Macchi won against Italy’s world champion Alessio Foconi, 15-9.
In women’s individual sabre, France’s Manon Apithy-Brunet faced teammate Sara Balzer in the final bout, winning with a 15-10 score. In the semifinal round, Balzer won against Italy’s Martina Criscio, 15-10, while Apithy-Brunet defeated Greece’s Theodora Gkountoura, 15-14.
Individual Men’s Foil (70 fencers)
1. Filippo Macchi (ITA, gold)
2. Enzo Lefort (FRA, silver)
3. Guillaume Bianchi (ITA, bronze)
3. Rafael Savin (FRA, bronze)
5. Daniele Garozzo (ITA)
6. Alexander Kahl (GER)
7. Alessio Foconi (ITA)
8. James-Andrew Davis (GBR)
Individual Women’s Sabre (51 fencers)
1. Manon Apithy-Brunet (FRA, gold)
2. Sara Balzer (FRA, silver)
3. Theodora Gkountoura (GRE, bronze)
3. Martina Criscio (ITA, bronze)
5. Sabina Karimova (AZE)
6. Yoana Ilieva (BUL)
7. Caitlin Maxwell (GBR)
8. Julika Funke (GER)
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. Find official photos from this and other events on the FIE Facebook page.