Two high-quality fields of 190 men and 147 women are lined up to compete in the second Grand Prix in Foil at the Anaheim Convention Center in California; the top seeds:
● Men:
1. Race Imboden (USA) ~ 2018 Worlds Team silver medalist
2. Alessio Foconi (ITA) ~ 2018 World Champion
3. Richard Kruse (GER) ~ 2018 Worlds silver medalist
4. Daniele Garozzo (ITA) ~ 2017 Worlds bronze medalist
5. Andrea Cassara (ITA) ~ 2018 Worlds Team gold medalist
6. Giorgio Avola (ITA) ~ 2018 Worlds Team gold medalist
7. Alexey Cheremisinov (RUS) ~ 2018 Worlds Team bronze medalist
8. Gerek Meinhardt (USA) ~ 2018 Worlds Team silver medalist
9. Timur Safin (RUS) ~ 2018 Worlds Team bronze medalist
10. Ka Long Cheung (HKG)
There are other top U.S. entries, including Olympic silver medalist Alexander Massialas (seeded 13th) and former World Champion Miles Chamley-Watson (22nd).
● Women:
1. Inna Deriglazova (RUS) ~ 2016 Olympic and 2017 World Champion
2. Alice Volpi (ITA) ~ 2018 World Champion & 2017 Worlds silver medalist
3. Lee Kiefer (USA) ~ 2018 Worlds Team gold medalist
4. Ines Boubakri (TUN) ~ 2018 Worlds bronze medalist
5. Leonie Ebert (GER)
6. Arianna Errigo (ITA) ~ 2018 Worlds bronze medalist
7. Ysoara Thibus (FRA) ~ 2018 Worlds silver medalist
8. Eleanor Harvey (CAN)
9. Camilla Mancini (ITA) ~ 2017 Worlds Team gold medalist
10. Komaki Kikuchi (JPN)
Nicole Ross (USA) is also entered and seeded 11th. The competition will begin on Friday and conclude on Sunday.
In the first Foil Grand Prix in February in Turin (ITA), Imboden defeated Cheung in the final, with Foconi and Meinhardt third in the men’s division, while Italy dominated the women’s division. Volpi out-pointed Elisa Di Francesca in the final, with Anastasiia Ivanova (RUS) and Francesca Palumbo (ITA) third.
Look for results here.
