Fencing: four Guadeloupe foil fencers in the final stages of the Paris International Challenge
Anita Blaze, Enzo Lefort, Pierre Loisel, and Ysaora Thibus participated this Saturday in the individual final stages of the Paris 2023 International Challenge, an event which counts for the Fencing World Cup. All were eliminated at different stages of the competition.
They were no less than four Guadeloupeans to reach the final stages of the Paris International Challenge. This fencing World Cup competition, disputed every year, takes place from January 12 to 15 at the Pierre-de-Coubertin hall in the capital, with the individual events this Saturday, before those by team this Sunday.
On the women’s side, we could count on Ysaora Thibus, reigning foil world champion, and Anita Blaze. The first was eliminated her Hungarian competitor Dora Lupkovics (15-10) in the 32nd final, then the American Lauren Scruggs (15-11) in 16th.
Anita Blaze won with slightly clearer gaps: 15-7 against the Korean Chae Songoh in 32nd, then 15-7 again in 16th against her French compatriot Coralie Brot.
The two foil fencers therefore found themselves opposed in the round of 16. While Ysaora Thibus took the lead in the first touches (0-3), Anita Blaze came back tied (4-4) before taking the upper hand (7-4).
But that was without taking into account the perseverance of the reigning world champion who came back up without leaving many points for her opponent. Final result: 15-9 for Ysaora Thibus.
She then beat another compatriot, Pauline Ranvier, on the same score (15-9), before facing in the semi-finals the world number 2, the Italian, Alice Volpi.
The duel was going to be tough between the two foil fencers, and that was the case. Although the Guadeloupean scored the first point, her opponent then took off (6-2).
But Ysaora Thibus did not give up and even managed to regain control for a few seconds (7-8). The gap then remained tight for the rest of the fight, until the Italian won 15-13.
On the men’s side, there was Enzo Lefort, reigning world champion, and Pierre Loisel. The first eliminated the Italian Davide Filippi in the 32nd round (15-13), the Korean Lee Kwanghyun in the 16th (15-9), before easily beating another Korean, Heo Jun in the 8th (15-6).
Corn diminished by ankle pain and food poisoning four days before the competition, he ended up losing in the quarter-finals during an close match (12-15), as this tweet from the French fencing federation shows. It must be said that in opposite him was the reigning Olympic champion and 2022 winner of the International Challenge, the Hong Konger Cheung Ka Long.
Pierre Loisel for his part was eliminated in the round of 16 during a fratricidal duel against the Frenchman Alexandre Ediri (11-15), on which he is never a advantage, taking the advantage except during the.
Pierre Loisel for his part was eliminated in the round of 16 in a fratricidal duel against Frenchman Alexandre Ediri (11-15), on which he is never the advantage, taking the advantage except when of.
Pierre Loisel for his part was eliminated in the round of 16 in a fratricidal duel against the Frenchman Alexandre Ediri (11-15), on which he is never to take the advantage except during the first seconds. of the fight.
He had however managed to defeat the Italian Giorgio Avolca in 32nd and especially in 16th the American Nick Itkin who had won the Paris International Challenge in 2020.