USA and Russia pick up final gold medals at World Fencing Championships in Budapest

The final evening of competition saw USA win the gold medal in the men’s team foil competition and Russia take gold in the women’s team sabre.

Sixty-seven international teams competed in the two competitions which completed nine days of competition in epee, foil and sabre featuring 12 men’s and women’s individual and team events. Before the final match, Hungarian Fencing Federation Secretary-General Henriette Tamas and FIE Secretary-General Emmanuel Katsiadakis gave their closing remarks, and Mr. Katsiadakis officially closed the Championships. A ceremony was then held passing the FIE flag from host-country Hungary to Japan, for next year’s Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Having had to settle for silver medals on three previous occasions at the Senior World Championships, USA finally got their hands on the gold medal in the men’s team foil after defeating France in the final round, 45-32.

To get the Americans overcame Russia in the semi-finals, 45-30, whilsy France beat Italy in in their last four encounter, 45-32. The bronze medal went to Italy over Russia by the same scoreline.

In the women’s team sabre, Russia faced France in the gold-medal match winning 45-40 score. For Russia, it was their eighth gold and 13th time they earned a medal in this event. In the semi-final round, they beat Italy, 45-37 whilst France overcame Korea, 45-43, with the latter taking the bronze medal over Italy, 45-35.

Twenty four hours earlier on Monday’s penultimate day of action, France’s men’s epee team won its 20th world title whilst the Russian women’s foil team took the gold for the fifth time.
In the final of the men’s team epee, France beat Ukraine 45-37 to take the gold medal. France had earlier defeated the reigning champions, Switzerland, in their semi-final meeting 45-27 with Ukraine beating China in the other clash, 38-24. The Swiss did have the consolation of winning the bronze medal beating China, 45-35 meaning they reached the podium for the fifth consecutive year at the World Championships.

In the women’s team foil final, Russia’s women faced Italy for the gold medal and came through only in overtime by a single point, 43-42.

In the semi-finals Russia overcame the USA, 45-36, and Italy defeated France, 45-37 to make it a tenth time in a row an Italian team had made the final of this event, albeit on this occasion to finish with silver medals. The USA took won the bronze medal, defeating France 45-43.