RIO DE JANEIRO (August 10) – World No. 2 Inna Deriglazova (RUS) won the Olympic gold medal in the women’s individual foil on Wednesday, beating the defending champion Elisa di Francisca (ITA) by a score of 12-11 in a final that went right down to the wire.
Deriglazova had a two-point lead that Di Francisca cut to one with just seconds remaining on the clock. Amid deafening roars from the crowd at the Carioca Arena 3, the 33-year-old Italian mounted a final attack.
Deriglazova evaded it, securing the sport’s top prize for the 26-year-old world champion, a first Olympic medal.
"At 12-8 she started to catch up. And this is my weakness, when I am leading and I get
a few hits I start to panic. Thankfully the time was up and I believed in my victory,
that I will not let her through like this and fight to the very end." - Inna Deriglazova (RUS)
The silver represents Di Francisca’s third Olympic medal after she won gold in the
individual and team event in London.
"In London I won with one hit, here I lost with one hit. Fate doesn't exist. Winning is
nice, but losing is normal. In every little thing I do every day there's some bit of fear
and some bit of courage.” - Elisa Di Francisca (ITA)
The bronze was won by world No. 9 Ines Boubakri (TUN), marking the first time a female African fencer has won an Olympic medal.
The 10-time African champion, 27, beat Aida Shanaeva (RUS), the world No. 4, by a score of 15-11 in the third-place playoff.
"I'm very, very proud and happy because I really deserve this medal. I worked hard. I
made a lot of sacrifices, and I believe that I deserve this medal.”
- Ines Boubakri (TUN)
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