Women’s Foil World Cup, Alice Volpi triumphs in Novi Sad

Women’s Foil World Cup, Alice Volpi triumphs in Novi Sad

Golden Saturday for Italian fencing: reigning world champion Alice Volpi triumphs in the first women’s foil World Cup stage of the season in Novi Sad, Serbia. And in the intense afternoon of international competition, Italy also celebrated Pietro Torre’s third place in the saber Grand Prix in Orleans.

UNBEATABLE ALICE VOLPI
The new women’s foil season begins just as the old one had ended, with the success of Alice Volpi. The reigning world champion soars to the highest step of the podium in the first stage of the specialty World Cup in Novi Sad, making the Mameli anthem resound in Serbia, where also stands out the excellent sixth place of Francesca Palumbo, stopped in an Italian derby in the quarterfinals.
Alice Volpi’s ride to the tenth victory on the rainbow circuit – between World Cup and Grand Prix – of her career è began with a 15-8 success against Chueung, the Singaporean holder, in the 64-team draw. Two more clear-cut successes, then, for the Milan 2023 world champion first against China’s Huang 15-12 and then over Japan’s Ueno with a result of 15-9. Entered among the “top 8”, the Sienese class ’92 of the Fiamme Oro in the quarterfinals beat her teammate, and with her team gold at the ’last World Championships, Francesca Palumbo: the verdict of 15-8 gave Volpi the certainty of a medal. In the semifinals, a round victory over Canada’s Guo 15-6 gave the Tuscan the decisive challenge against world No. 1 Kiefer. Alice won a spectacular and very balanced final against the American 15-13 thus being able to return to the top of the World Cup podium eleven months after her triumph last January in Paris.
More than positive proof also for Francesca Palumbo, who finished 6th. The Italian from Aeronautica Militare overcame 13-7 the Polish Zurawska in the first match and then the Korean Lee 15-7 in the round of 32. In the round of 16, the Lucanian, with a score of 13-9, won over world number 8, Canadian Harvey, thus reaching the derby against Alice Volpi in the quarterfinals, won by the Tuscan. 

A lot of Italy also on the threshold of the “top 8”: stop in the round of 16 for Martina Favaretto, Martina Batini and Elena Tangherlini respectively 9th, 10th and 15th ranked. Too bad especially for Batini and Favaretto, respectively gold and silver at the’last European Championships, both condemned at the’last hit (15-14) by Canadian Guo and German Ebert respectively.
Soì the other azzurre: 20th Serena Rossini, 21st Martina Sinigalia, 23rd Arianna Errigo, 24th Camilla Mancini, 42nd Erica Cipressa, 54th Anna Cristino.
For the vice-world champion Errigo, who after the great World Cup in Milan was returning to the platform also in the World Cup following the maternity stop, the regret of a single hit that forced her to surrender (15-14) to Walczyk Klimaszyk of Poland.
Tomorrow the’last day of competition in Novi Sad with the team event. The quartet of Italian women foil fencers will be the same one that è climbed to the top of the world in Milan 2023, with Alice Volpi, Arianna Errigo, Martina Favaretto and Francesca Palumbo. Italy will take the platform in the round of 16 against the winner between Singapore and Egypt.

PIETRO TORRE BRONZE saber
Medal for Italy in the saber Grand Prix in Orleans: è bronze in the men’s event for Pietro Torre, who repeated his third place in the first seasonal competition held in Algiers. The 2002 class thus confirms his great start to the international season in a French GP that saw at the foot of the podium (5°) Luigi Samele.
Second consecutive medal in two seasonal events of the rainbow circuit for Pietro Torre, who just a month ago with a third place had stepped on the World Cup podium for the first time in his career. The Livorno native, who came from Thursday’s qualifiers, began his climb with a clear 15-3 win in the first round against Bulgaria’s Stoychev, then overcame Poland’s Hryciuk 15-10. In the round of 16, the Gold Flames athlete beat world No. 4, Egypt’s Elsissy, with a score of 15-11. In the quarterfinals, Pietro Torre è won 15-8 over his “captain” of the national team, Luigi Samele, in an Italian derby that handed him the certainty in the medal.  Defeat in the semifinals, against Germany’s Szabo 15-10, stopped Torre’s run, who nevertheless left the spectacular Orleans Zenith platform with his head held high.
Yet another finish among the “top 8” for Luigi Samele, who closed the Orleans GP in fifth place. The Yellow Flames saberist è entered the competition with a 15-12 success over U.S. Smith. In the 32’s scoreboard, the Azzurro è won 15-10 over Korea’s Kim before d’entering an “canal” all-Italian. In the round of 16, in fact, Samele got the better of teammate Luca Curatoli (12° ranked) with a score of 15-10, before losing to Pietro Torre in the assault that was worth the podium. Positive performance also for Dario Cavaliere, who è placed 15°, thus closing the certainly relevant picture of as many as four of CT Nicola Zanotti’s sabre fencers among the “top 16” in the first FIE GP of the season. 
Soì the other azzurri: 19° Michele Gallo, 26° Mattia Rea, 44° Giovanni Repetti, 59° Enrico Berrè.
In the women’s event the best of the Italian saberists è was Rossella Gregorio, 12th, followed by Chiara Mormile, 15th. 
Gregorio started her day by winning 15-12 against Spiesz of Hungary. In the 32’s scoreboard, again with a 15-12 score, the Carabinieri athlete overcame the American Burke. The stop è came in the round of 16, against the number 1 ranking, French Balzer by 15-11, which diverted Gregorio to 12th position. 
Placement in the top 16 also for Mormile, who won in the first match against the U.S. Tartakovsky 15-9 and then, in the round of 32, she è imposed herself with a clear 15-6 over Korea’s Lee. The Army saberist’s run came to a halt in the round of 16, with a 15-7 loss to Ukrainian Olga Kharlan.
Soì the other azzurre: 27^ Claudia Rotili, 34^ Martina Criscio, 44^ Manuela Spica, 45^ Carlotta Fusetti, 55^ Eloisa Passaro, 60^ Rebecca Gargano, 63^ Michela Battiston. 
With the Orleans stage concluded, which like all Grand Prix included only individual competitions, for saber the path to Olympic Qualification will resume between February 9 and 11, with the World Cup trials for men in Tbilisi and for women in Lima.

IN THE NIGHT SPADA IN VANCOUVER
In the Italian evening the two individual trials of the World Cup in epee, men’s and women’s, are being held in Vancouver, which will give their verdicts in the night.

Federscherma Press Release