PLOVDIV – Italian fencing writes history on the first day of the Individual Absolute European Championships in Plovdiv 2023: six medals in two competitions, two of which are gold and an all-blue podium in women’s foil. It had never happened, not even in the magical years of the Dream Team. And then the doublet of the men’s sword.
An unforgettable Friday on the Bulgarian platforms that consecrates the foil player as Champions of Europe Martina Batini and the swordsman David DiVeroliwhile they are silver Martina Favaretto in foil e Frederick Vismara in epee, but still among the foil players, where the four flags on the podium are all Tricolor, they win the bronze Francesca Palumbo e Alice Volpi.
Also in the annals is Di Veroli’s gold in the individual men’s epee that Italy was missing from the 1981 European Championship in Foggia (won by Mazzoni).
“An exciting, epic day. The foil girls and the epee boys have given us a joy that leaps from the breaking latest news to history. And I like to point out that this Italian triumph came in two races of extremely high technical level, with the best of the Old Continent and the leaders of the world rankings on the podium. A sign that Italy has not only excelled in Europe, but has proven to be a global power”, the words of the President of the Italian Fencing Federation, Paolo Azzi.
Absolute record for women’s foil: the CT Stefano Cerioni she had four athletes competing and they all took a place on the podium. The title of European Champion in the end went to Martina Batini, who won the derby against Martina Favaretto, forced to retire on 9-6 due to a physical problem amidst tears, hugs and very strong emotions. But already in the semifinals the European Championship in Plovdiv had assumed the appearance of a “national Open” competition. This is how this historic scenario took shape, when in the quarterfinals, one after the other, the Azzurri dominated their respective opponents: Martina Batini overcame the Spanish Castro (15-4), Francesca Palumbo prevailed on Polish Lyczbinska (15-8), Alice Volpi, after having fought and won in the last jab in the round of 16 against the British Stutchbury (15-14), eliminated by authority the French Patru, and finally Martina Favaretto, who in the previous round had ousted a champion like the French Thibus (15-11), he completed the blue four by beating the Polish Walczyk Klimaszyk (15-8). Four out of four for Italy, all the tricolor podium. At that point, in the semifinals, the derbies saw the two Martinas rejoice: Batini beat Francesca Palumbo 15-12, while Favaretto got the better of Alice Volpi with a score of 15-9. In the final the success of Martina Batini, gold around her neck, with Martina Favaretto silver, both to applause.
He plays the Mameli anthem also for the super blue brace in the men’s epee. Spectacular match between Davide Di Veroli and Federico Vismara, who met in a fantastic Italian derby in the final: Di Veroli won it 15-14, putting the exclamation point on a special day. The new European champion, in the same city – Plovdiv – which a few weeks ago had crowned his younger brother and foil player Damiano the Under 20 world champion, conquered the certainty of the medal by beating the Swede Svensson 15-8, without settling, and then overcoming the German Brinkmann in the semifinals with a score of 15-12. At the same time Federico Vismara, mortgaged the podium thanks to the success in the quarterfinals against the Dutchman Van Nunen 15-9, also conquered the semifinal by defeating the Polish Antiewicz 15-7. In the blue challenge, on 15-14 for Di Veroli, with silver Vismara, another page of history for Italian fencing.
Always in the epee, Valerio Cuomo out in the round of 32 while Gabriele Cimini stopped after the group stage.
Tomorrow the European Individual Championships in Plovdiv will host the women’s epee and men’s saber competitions. For Italy on the platform the epee players Rossella Fiamingo, Federica Isola, Mara Navarria and Alberta Santuccio, while among the sabers the blue ones involved will be Luca Curatoli, Michele Gallo, Matteo Neri and Luigi Samele.
EUROPEAN INDIVIDUAL WOMEN’S FOIL CHAMPIONSHIPS – Plovdiv (Bul), 16 June 2023
Finale
Batini (ITA) b. Favaretto (ITA) for withdrawal
Semifinals
Batini (ITA) – Palumbo (ITA) 15-12
Favaretto (ITA) b. Volpi (ITA) 15-9
Quarter finals
Batini (ITA) b. Castro (Esp) 15-4
Palumbo (ITA) b. Lyczbinska (Pol) 15-8
Favaretto (ITA) b. Walczyk Klimaszyk (Pol) 15-8
Foxes (ITA) b. Patru (Fra) 15-7
Round of 16
Batini (ITA) b. Marino (Esp) 15-7
Palumbo (ITA) b. Pressure (Isr) 15-5
Favaretto (ITA) b. Thibus (Fra) 15-11
Volpi (ITA) b. Stutchbury (Fig) 15-14
32 game board
Batini (ITA) b. Schreiber (Swe) 15-7
Palumbo (ITA) b. Behr (Ger) 15-6
Favaretto (ITA) b. Kontochristopoulou (Gre) 15-10
Volpi (ITA) b. Kraenkle (Out) 15-3
Group stage
Martina Batini: 6 victories, no defeats
Alice Volpi: 5 wins, 1 loss
Francesca Palumbo: 5 wins, 1 defeat
Martina Favaretto: 5 victories, 1 defeat
Ranking (56): 1. Martina Batini (ITA), 2. Martina Favaretto (ITA), 3. Alice Volpi (ITA), 3. Francesca Palumbo (ITA)
EUROPEAN INDIVIDUAL MEN’S SWORD CHAMPIONSHIPS – Plovdiv (Bul), 16 June 2023
Here the live results
Finale
Di Veroli (ITA) b. Vismara (ITA) 15-14
Semifinal
Di Veroli (ITA) b. Brinkmann (Germany) 15-12
Vismara (ITA) b. Antiewicz (Pol) 15-7
Quarter finals
Di Veroli (ITA) b. Svensson (SW) 15-8
Vismara (ITA) b. Van Nunen (Ned) 14-9
Round of 16
Di Veroli (ITA) b. Herzberg (Germany) 15-9
Vismara (ITA) b. Bielec (Pol) 15-12
32 game board
Andrasfi (Hun) b. Cuomo (ITA) 15-8
Di Veroli (ITA) b. Koch (Hun) 11-9
Vismara (ITA) b. Vuorinen (Fin) 15-14
64 game board
Cuomo (ITA) b. Marinov (Bull) 15-7
Di Veroli (ITA) b. Mahringer (Aut) 14-12
Vismara (ITA) b. From The East (Den) 15-13
Group stage
Valerio Cuomo: 4 wins, 1 loss
Davide Di Veroli: 4 wins, 2 losses
Federico Vismara: 4 wins, 2 losses
Gabriele Cimini: 4 defeats, 1 victory (eliminated after group stage)
Ranking (88): 1. Davide Di Veroli (ITA), 2. Federico Vismara (ITA), 3. Mateusz Antiewicz (Pol), 3. Marco Brinkmann (Ger); 23. Valerio Cuomo, 73. Gabriele Cimini