Fencing World Cup, an Italy of 10 and praise

World Fencing Championships, results

It ends with the – extraordinary – haul of 10 medals for Italy at the Milan 2023 World Championships. The ninth and final day of competitions on the MiCo platforms, in fact, is the first of the review that closes without Azzurri on the podium: the men’s foil team finished in fifth place, stopped in the quarterfinals by Hong Kong, which prevailed with a score of 45-40 at the end of a tense and balanced match. World champion Tommaso Marini, Daniele Garozzo, Filippo Macchi and Alessio Foconi led for a long time in the scoring but Olympian Cheung and his teammates did well to stay in their wake and overtake in the last two fractions.
CT Stefano Cerioni’s quartet was thus hijacked to the “placings” scoreboard, where they clearly overcame Korea 45-24. Italy then made the fifth position its own by also winning the assault against France with a score of 45-33 and deserving the thunderous applause of the Milan audience, with hundreds of kids at the end of the match hunting for selfies and autographs in a bath of affection for the Italian foil fencers. An epilogue of enthusiasm worth as much as a medal.

Also on stage today was the final round of women’s team saber. Coach Nicola Zanotti’s Italy (fielding Michela Battiston, Martina Criscio, Rossella Gregorio and Chiara Mormile) in yesterday’s event finished in 10th place. After a success against Colombia (45-17) in the 32-team draw and a defeat in the round of 16 against Ukraine (33-45), the Azzurri – in the matches for the “placings” – beat first China (45-38) and then Bulgaria (45-44), finally losing the match against Germany (36-45).

Italy thus closes its World Championships with 10 medals won. A nine-day event that saw the Azzurri climb four times on the top step of the podium: triumphs and rainbow titles for Alice Volpi in women’s foil, Tommaso Marini in men’s foil, the women’s foil team (Arianna Errigo, Martina Favaretto, Francesca Palumbo and Alice Volpi) and the men’s epee team (Gabriele Cimini, Davide Di Veroli, Andrea Santarelli and Federico Vismara).

There were also four silvers signed by Davide Di Veroli and Alberta Santuccio in men’s and women’s epee, Arianna Errigo in women’s foil and the women’s epee team (Rossella Fiamingo, Federica Isola, Mara Navarria and Alberta Santuccio). Finally, there are two bronze medals penned by Martina Favaretto in women’s foil and Mara Navarria in women’s epee. An expedition that improved the haul compared to Cairo 2022, where the Azzurri had won eight medals (two gold, four silver and two bronze medals), just one podium finish away from the all-time record of 11 Italian podiums at the World Championships.