The international fencing circuit closed its regular foil season in spectacular fashion today at the Haopu Film and Television Base, as Italy’s world number three Martina Batini captured a stunning gold medal at the Shanghai Foil Grand Prix. The triumph marks Batini’s second Grand Prix title of a phenomenal 2025-2026 campaign - following her victory at the Turin Grand Prix - and places her as a definitive podium favourite heading into the upcoming European and World Championships.
Batini’s golden run in Shanghai was her fourth individual podium of the regular season, showcasing the veteran's immaculate form. Her path through the bracket featured a masterclass in tactical spacing and precision. After sweeping past teammate Erica Cipressa (15-10) and Vitalina Anaschenkova (15-8), Batini executed a phenomenal 15-9 victory over world number 13 and Lima Grand Prix Champion Alice Volpi in an all-Italian round-of-16 blockbuster. She followed it up by dismissing Japan's world number 12 and reigning Asian Championship silver medallist Tsuji Sumire (15-8) and battling past a fierce semi-final challenge from Marta Martyanova (15-12). In the gold medal bout, Batini relied on her vast championship experience to outlast Japan's Yuka Ueno 15-11.
While Batini stood on the top step, reigning Asian Champion and world number four Yuka Ueno made history of her own by securing a magnificent silver medal, her first-ever Grand Prix podium. Ueno has been remarkably consistent this year, with Shanghai marking her third individual silver of the season following second-place finishes at both the Palma and Busan World Cups.
Coached by Franck Boidin, Ueno put on a brilliant tactical display. She dispatched 2022 European Champion Leonie Ebert (GER) 15-8 in the round of 32, comfortably handled world number 14 Carolina Stutchbury 14-7, and won a nail-biting 11-10 quarter-final derby against teammate Takeyama Yuzuha. A gritty 13-11 semi-final win over Italy's Anna Cristino guaranteed her historic medal.
The bronze medals were secured by two powerhouse foilists who threw the pre-tournament brackets into absolute chaos. World number eight Anna Cristino was delighted to claim her first podium of the 2025-2026 campaign. The 2025 World Championship bronze medallist proved her big-stage pedigree by fighting through an absolute gauntlet of Japanese talent. Her run included a 15-12 victory over world number 10 Kikuchi Komaki and a mirror-image 15-12 quarter-final triumph over world number 24 and Paris 2024 Olympic team bronze medallist Miyawaki Karin, before she was narrowly halted by Ueno.
Sharing the bronze was Individual Neutral Athlete (_AIN) Marta Martyanova, who secured her second podium of the season following a bronze medal at the Hong Kong World Cup. The world number 19 turned into the ultimate bracket buster, pulling off back-to-back stunning upsets. In the round of 16, Martyanova shocked the world number two and four-time season medalist Martina Favaretto (ITA) 15-13. She then immediately replicated that giant-killing composure in the quarter-finals, knocking out France's world number nine and two-time World silver medallist Pauline Ranvier 15-13, before pushing the eventual champion Batini to the absolute limit.
With the Grand Prix calendar now officially drawn to a close, the world's finest foilists have provided a dazzling preview of the high-stakes drama to come in the Zonal and World Championships.