FENCING: Newcomers score first World Cup medals in Buenos Aires, Budapest and Sint-Niklaas

French Sabre star Manon Brunet, winner in Sint-Niklaas

The beauty of the FIE World Cup series is that it’s an open competition. If you’re good enough, you’ll end up on the victory stand. That’s what happened on Saturday as first-time medalists were just about everywhere.

In the Epee World Cups, little-known fencers Sergey Bida (RUS) and Helene Ngom (FRA) won the tournaments, the first-ever medals for each. Bida is 26 and was ranked 17th, while Ngom was ranked 36th.

In Buenos Aires, Bida defeated another unheralded fighter, Italy’s Gabriele Cimini, 15-11, in the final. For Cimini, 24, it was his second-ever World Cup medal and first silver.

Ngom’s win was much more impressive, as she out-scored two-time World Champion, Rossella Fiamingo (ITA), 15-12. Now ranked 21st, Fiamingo won the Rio silver in 2016, but hadn’t won a World Cup or Grand Prix medal in two years. At just 27, her future on the piste is looking up again.

The Sabre World Cups in Budapest (men) and Sint-Niklaas (women) had more familiar names at the top, with Max Hartung (GER) defeating Korea’s Sang-Uk Oh in the men’s final, and France’s Manon Brunet winning the women’s event.

While Hartung won his third World Cup medal of the season – two bronzes prior to this win – he hadn’t won a medai in the two prior years, but is now ranked no. 3 by the FIE. Both of the bronze medalists were surprises: Mojtaba Abedini (IRI) and Tiberiu Dolniceanu (ROU). The Iranian, now 34, won his first World Cup medal back in 2009, but hadn’t won anything in two seasons. Dolniceanu won his first World Cup medal in four years.

Brunet’s win in Sint-Niklaas was her first in a year. Ranked as high as fourth, she is still only 29 and could be a contender once again. But she faced a new challenger in the final in Olga Nikitina of Russia, just 20, who won her first-ever World Cup medal.

FEI Epee World Cup
Buenos Aires (ARG) ~ 22-24 March 2019
(Full results here)

Men’s Epee: 1. Sergey Bida (RUS); 2. Gabriele Cimini (ITA); 3. Curtis McDowald (USA) and Andreas Redli (HUN). Semis: Bida d. Redli, 15-5; Cimini d. McDowald, 15-6. Final: Bida d. Cimini, 15-11.

Men’s Team Epee: 1. Japan; 2. Switzerland; 3. Russia; 4. Venezuela. Semis: Switzerland d. Russia, 45-37; Japan d. Venezuela, 45-37. Third: Russia d. Venezuela, 30-29. Final: Japan d. Switzerland, 45-32.

FEI Epee World Cup
Chengdu (CHN) ~ 22-24 March 2019
(Full results here)

Women’s Epee: 1. Helene Ngom (FRA); 2. Rossella Fiamingo (ITA); 3. Courtney Hurley (USA) and Nathalie Moellhausen (BRA). Semis: Ngom d. Hurley, 15-11; Fiamingo d. Moellhausen, 15-10. Final: Ngom d. Fiamingo, 15-12.

Women’s Team Epee: 1. Germany; 2. Estonia; 3. Italy; 4. China. Semis: Estonia d. China,. 42-38; Germany d. Italy, 41-34. Third: Italy d. China, 31-28. Final: Germany d. Estonia, 45-39.

FEI Sabre World Cup
Budapest (HUN) ~ 22-24 March 2019
(Full results here)

Men’s Sabre: 1. Max Hartung (GER); 2. Sang-Uk Oh (KOR); 3. Mojtaba Abedini (IRI) and Tiberiu Dolniceanu (ROU). Semis: Hartung d. Dolniceanu, 15-5; Oh d. Abedini, 15-10. Final: Hartung d. Kor, 15-12.

Men’s Team Sabre: 1. Korea; 2. Hungary; 3. Italy; 4. Germany. Semis: Korea d. Germany, 45-44; Hungary d. Italy, 45-43. Third: Italy d. Germany, 45-29. Final: Korea d. Hungary, 45-41.

FEI Sabre World Cup
Sint-Niklaas (BEL) ~ 22-24 March 2019
(Full results here)

Women’s Sabre: 1. Manon Brunet (FRA); 2. Olga Nikitina (RUS); 3. Yana Egorian (RUS) and Bianca Pascu (ROU). Semis: Brunet d. Egorian, 15-13; Nikitina d. Pascu, 15-14. Final: Brunet d. Nikitina, 15-14.

Women’s Team Sabre: 1. France; 2. Russia; 3. Italy; 4. Poland. Semis: France d. Poland, 45-27; Russia d. Italy, 45-39. Third: Italy d. Poland, 45-29. Final: France d. Russia, 45-43.