Azzurri down from world podium in men’s foil and women’s epee
The second day – the first day awarding titles – of the World Championships in Tbilisi 2025 ended with three Italians one step away from the podium. Alberta Santuccio and Rossella Fiamingo, in women’s epee, and Filippo Macchi, in men’s foil, stopped just a few hits short of the medal zone.
Fifth place for foilist Macchi, mocked 15-14 by Hong Kong’s Choi, same placement for Santuccio, while Fiamingo finished seventh in her own competition, both foilists stopped by Estonian adversaries (Embrich and Lehis, respectively).
The test of the two Italian women swordsmen, Alberta Santuccio and Rossella Fiamingo began with successes in the first match over Ukraine’s Brovko (11-10) and Germany’s Hess Sancho (15-10), respectively. In the round of 32 the two Sicilian women then won over Ukraine’s Maksymenko (5-5 in the priority) and China’s Shi (10-9). In the round of 16, the Fiamme Oro bearer overcame (15-5) the U.S. Guzzi Vincenti while the Carabinieri swordsman beat the other U.S. athlete, Husisian, 15-11. The stop for the two azzurre came in the quarters against two Estonians, respectively Irina Embrich (15-13) and Katrina Lehis (15-11). Alberta Santuccio thus finished in 5th position, seventh Rossella Fiamingo.
So were the other two azzurre: 18th Giulia Rizzi and 20th Sara Maria Kowalczyk.
A step away from the podium also finished Filippo Macchi, who in the first two matches of his scoreboard overcame Croatian Files (15-7) and American Louie (15-10). The Pisan continued his run in the round of 16 where he got the better of Frenchman Loisel (15-11). The stop for the Gold Flames athlete, and the 5th place finish, came in the quarters beaten at the last stroke by Hong Kong athlete Choi (15-14). Stop in the round of 16 for Guillaume Bianchi (10th) and Alessio Foconi (13th). 18th place for Tommaso Marini.
“It is absolutely not a bad day, as we place two athletes in the top eight in the world. It is clear that we were expecting a medal that both Alberta Santuccio and Rossella Fiamingo came close to and would have deserved. But we must also give credit to the opponents and not forget the excellent course of which our girls have been protagonists,” the comment of the coach of the Italian epee Dario Chiadò.
So did the CT of foil Simone Vanni: “Sorry for the hit that Pippo Macchi missed to get on the podium, but also for all the other boys who are surely worth very different positions than today’s result. Let’s not look for alibis and get right back to work to analyze the mistakes made and correct them. This day without a medal gives even more charge and compactness ahead of the team competition.”
Tomorrow, on the third day of the rainbow event, space will be given to the preliminary draw in men’s saber and women’s foil. Among the sabre fencers, Pietro Torre and Matteo Neri will be on the platform hunting for a pass to the main draw, while Luca Curatoli and Michele Gallo have already qualified by right of ranking. Among the foilists, however, no Italian women will be on the platform tomorrow: they will enter the competition directly on Friday – being among the top 16 in the world ranking – Martina Favaretto, Arianna Errigo, Martina Batini and Anna Cristino.
MALE INDIVIDUAL FLORETTO
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Classification: 1. Chun Yin Ryan Choi (Hkg), 2. Kirill Borodachev (Ain), 3. Gergo Szemes (Hun), 3. Maxime Pauty (Fra)
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Italians: 5. Filippo Macchi, 10. Guillaume Bianchi, 13. Alessio Foconi, 18. Tommaso Marini
Final
Choi (Hkg) b. Borodachev (Ain) 15-9
Semifinals
Choi (Hkg) b. Szemes (Hun) 15-11
Borodachev (Ain) b. Pauty (Fra) 15-12
Quarterfinals
Choi (Hkg) b. Macchi (ITA) 15-14
Eighth finals
Choi (Hkg) b. Bianchi (ITA) 15-10
Macchi (ITA) b. Loisel (Fra) 15-11
Borodachev (Ain) b. Foconi (ITA) 15-14
Table of 32
Bianchi (ITA) b. Ng (Hkg) 15-6
Macchi (ITA) b. Louie (USA) 15-10
Nagano (Jpn) b. Marini (ITA) 15-14
Foconi (ITA) b. Mo (Chn) 15-13
Round of 64
Bianchi (ITA) b. Holy (Cze) 15-3
Macchi (ITA) b. Files (Cro) 15-7
Marini (ITA) b. Nijs (Bel) 15-9
Foconi (ITA) b. Wong (Can) 15-2
WOMEN’S INDIVIDUAL SKATING
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Ranking: 1, Vlada Kharkova (Ukr), 2. Katrina Lehis (East), 3. Irina Embrich (East), 3. Sera Song (Kor)
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The Italians: 5. Alberta Santuccio, 7. Rossella Fiamingo, 18. Giulia Rizzi, 20. Sara Maria Kowalczyk
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Final
Kharkova (Ukr) b. Lehis (East) 15-14
Semifinals
Lehis (East) b. Embrich (East) 15-10
Kharkova (Ukr) b. Song (Kor) 15-14
Quarterfinals
Embrich (East) b. Santuccio (ITA) 15-13
Lehis (East) b. Fiamingo (ITA) 15-11
Eighth finals
Santuccio (ITA) b. Guzzi Vincenti (USA) 15-5
Fiamingo (ITA) b. Husisian (Usa) 15-11
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Table of 32
Santuccio (ITA) b. Maksymenko (Ukr) 5-5
Fiamingo (ITA) b. Shi (Chn) 10-9
Wetzker (Ger) b. Rizzi (ITA) 14-13
Yasinskaya (Ain) b. Kowalczyk (ITA) 15-12
Table of 64
Santuccio (ITA) b. Brovko (Ukr) 11-10
Fiamingo (ITA) b. Hess Sancho (Ger) 15-10
Rizzi (ITA) b. Asis (Ven) 15-9
Kowalczyk (ITA) b. Prosina (Lat) 15-13
