European Championships in Genoa, Martina Batini bronze in women’s foil

A medal came for Italy on the first day of the European championships in Genoa, and it was won by Martina Batini, bronze in women’s foil: it is her third individual continental medal after gold in 2023 in Plovdiv and silver in Strasbourg even in 2014.

The 36-year-old Tuscan from Pisa lost 15-12 in the semifinals to Britain’s Carolina Stutchbury. The gold went to France’s Eva Lacheray, who in the other semifinal had dominated the other bronze medalist, Hungary’s Flora Pasztor, and then defeated Stutchbury 15-13 in the final.

The 36-year-old from Pisa, Italy, lost 15-12 in the semifinals.

Out in the round of 16 came Alice Volpi, 15-11 from France’s Morgane Patru, Arianna Errigo, 15-13 from Greece’s Maria-Eleni Chaldaiou, and Anna Cristino, 15-13 from Stutchbury. Among the men, defending champion Michele Gallo was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Frenchman Jean-Philippe Patrice and was placed sixth.

“I am happy with this bronze, although there remains the regret of not having done more in front of a warm, wonderful audience – said Martina Batini -. Surely my teammates who did not make it to the podium today will have so much desire for redemption in the team competition, in which we will give everything to get the best.”