On a night of high drama at the Papp László Arena, World No. 3 Katrina Lehis (EST) staged a miraculous recovery to claim the gold medal at the Westend Women’s Épée Grand Prix. In a final that will be remembered for years, Lehis overcame a five-touch deficit in the final period to defeat home favourite Eszter Muhari (HUN) in a priority-minute thriller.
The second Grand Prix of the season delivered a podium that perfectly balanced veteran mastery with the arrival of fencing’s next generation, all set against the backdrop of an enthusiastic Hungarian crowd.
The gold medal match appeared to be slipping away from Lehis as Paris 2024 bronze medallist Eszter Muhari utilized the energy of the home crowd to build a commanding 11-6 lead entering the final stretch. However, the Estonian’s experience, honed by Olympic bronze in Tokyo 2020 and a recent silver at the Astana World Cup, shone through. With tactical precision, Lehis chipped away at the lead, levelling the scores as the clock expired. In the sudden-death priority minute, Lehis struck the decisive blow to win 12-11, securing her title on the Budapest piste.
Muhari’s silver medal continues an impressive season for the Hungarian star, adding to her bronze from the Vancouver World Cup and cementing her place in the world’s top ten.
The bronze medals were shared by two fencers at opposite ends of their careers. France’s Auriane Mallo-Breton made an emotional and successful return to the piste in her first international appearance since winning individual silver at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Mallo-Breton showed no signs of competitive rust, navigating a difficult bracket to prove she remains a dominant force in the weapon.
Joining her on the podium was Latvia’s Sofija Prosina, who completed a fairytale fortnight. Less than two weeks after being crowned Junior World Champion in Rio, Prosina transitioned seamlessly to the senior stage to claim her first-ever senior international medal.
Path to the Podium
Gold: Katrina Lehis (EST)
Lehis faced a gauntlet of Hungarian talent and international veterans. She opened with a narrow 14-13 victory over Gnam (HUN), followed by wins over Conrad (UKR) and Borsody (HUN). In the quarterfinals, she dispatched 2024 European Championship bronze medallist Angeline Favre (SUI) 15-12, before edging out Mallo-Breton 15-13 in a world-class semifinal.
Silver: Eszter Muhari (HUN)
Muhari’s road was defined by grit, starting with a 15-14 opening thriller against Janelli (POL). She then defeated 2022 World Silver medallist Alexandra Ndolo (KEN) and the defending Budapest champion Anna Maksymenko (UKR). A 12-11 semifinal win over Prosina brought the crowd to their feet before she ultimately fell just short in the final.
Bronze: Auriane Mallo-Breton (FRA)
The French star’s return included a 15-11 win over World No. 10 Catherine Nixon (USA) and a tense 15-14 quarterfinal victory over teammate and Astana bronze medallist Diane Von Kerssenbrock.
Bronze: Sofija Prosina (LAT)
Prosina’s giant-killing run included victories over World No. 13 Kowalczyk (ITA) and the experienced Li (CHN) 15-10, proving that the new Junior World Champion is ready for the senior elite.