A busy week is ahead in fencing, with the second Epee Grand Prix in Hungary and Sabre World Cups in Italy and Greece:
● Epee Grand Prix in Budapest
The second Epee Grand Prix of the season comes to Budapest (HUN), with the Westend Epee Grand Prix, with a huge field of 574 fencers, including the entire top-10-ranked men and nine of the top-10 women:
Men: (313 entries)
1. Yannick Borel (FRA) ~ 2018 World Champion
2. Bogdan Nikishin (UKR) ~ 2018 Worlds bronze medalist
3. Ruben Limardo Gascon (VEN) ~ 2018 Worlds silver medalist
4. Koki Kano (JPN)
5. Dmitriy Alexanin (KAZ)
6. Sang-Young Park (KOR) ~ 2018 Worlds Team silver medalist
7. Nikolai Novosjolov (EST) ~ 2017 Worlds silver medalist
8. Max Heinzer (SUI) ~ 2018 Worlds Team gold medalist
9. Jacob Hoyle (USA)
10. Yulen Pereira (ESP)
Women: (261 entries)
1. Mara Navarria (ITA) ~ 2018 World Champion
2. Man Wai Vivian Kong (HKG)
3. Young Mi Kang (KOR) ~ 2018 Worlds Team silver medalist
4. Ana Maria Popescu (ROU) ~ 2018 Worlds silver medalist
5. Violetta Kolobova (RUS)
7. Olena Kryvytska (UKR) ~ 2017 Worlds bronze medalist
8. Katrina Lehis (EST)
9. Julia Beljajeva (EST) ~ 2017 Worlds bronze medalist
10. Mingye Zhu (CHN) ~ 2017 Worlds Team silver medalist
In addition, the U.S. has two high-ranked entries, with the sisters Courtney Hurley at 12, and Kelley Hurley at 13.
In the opening Grand Prix of the season in Doha (QAT) in January, Borel won the men’s tournament, defeating Pereira in the final, with Hoyle and Nikishin as the bronze medalists. Among the women, Beljajeva won gold, followed by Kseniya Pantelyeyeva (UKR) and bronze winners Hyo-Jung Jung (KOR) and Kolobova of Russia.
Look for results here.
● Men’s Sabre World Cup in Padua
The 62nd Trofeo Luxardo is on this weekend in Padua (ITA), with 212 entries and an individual competition on Friday and Saturday and a team event on Sunday. The top entries by world ranking:
1. Eli Dershwitz (USA) ~ 2018 Worlds silver medalist
2. Aron Szilagyi (HUN) ~ 2012-16 Olympic gold medalist
3. Bon-Gil Gu (KOR) ~ 2018 Worlds Team gold medalist
4. Sang-Uk Oh (KOR) ~ 2018 Worlds Team gold medalist
6. Kamil Ibrahimov (RUS) ~ 2018 Worlds bronze medalist
7. Luca Curatoli (ITA) ~ 2018 Worlds silver medalist
8. Max Hartung (GER)
9. Jun-Ho Kim (KOR) ~ 2018 Worlds bronze, and Team gold medalist
10. Enrico Berre (ITA) ~ 2018 Worlds Team silver medalist
Also entered for the U.S. is 12th-ranked Daryl Homer, the 2016 Olympic silver medalist.
● Women’s Sabre World Cup in Athens
The Acropolis Cup in Athens (GRE) also has a large field at 202 fencers, and the entire top 10 in the world rankings ready to go:
1. Sofya Velikaya (RUS) ~ 2018 Worlds silver medalist
2. Cecilia Berder (FRA) ~ 2018 Worlds Team gold medalist
3. Anna Marton (HUN)
4. Sofia Pozdniakova (RUS) ~ 2018 World Champion
5. Bianca Pascu (ROU)
6. Olga Kharlan (UKR) ~ 2017 World Champion
7. Anne-Elizabeth Stone (USA) ~ 2018 Worlds bronze medalist
8. Ji-Yeon Kim (KOR) ~ 2018 Worlds Team bronze medalist
9. Soo-Yeon Choi (KOR) ~ 2018 Worlds Team bronze medalist
10. Liza Pusztai (HUN)
The Athens program also includes an individual events on Friday and Saturday and a team competition on Sunday.
Look for results of both World Cups here.
