Tbilisi World Championships, three bronze medals for Italy
On the fourth day of the Tbilisi 2025 World Championships – the second one awarding titles – the first three medals came for Italy: shining bronzes for Martina Favaretto and Anna Cristino in women’s foil and Luca Curatoli in men’s saber. A trio of podiums that is also a generational mix. The Neapolitan saberist, in fact, gives himself a great 31st birthday present with a champion-veteran performance. The two foil fencers, both 23 years old, on the other hand, confirm themselves as the present and future of the specialty: Favaretto does so by winning her second consecutive individual rainbow medal and Cristino by stepping on the podium at her debut in a World Championships.
For the Azzurri expedition led by Federal President Luigi Mazzone and Head of Delegation Daniele Garozzo, who today also welcomed the’Ambassador d’Italy in Tbilisi, Massimiliano D’Antuono, a day of great satisfaction and emotions.
FEMALE FLORENCE
Returning after the injury that forced her to skip the European Championships in Genoa, Martina Favaretto entered the competition with victories over Israel’s Druck (15-5) and France’s Blaze (14-9). In the round of 16, the Venetian beat (15-2) Japan’s Tsuji. Again a Japanese, then, on the way of the Fiamme Oro foilist who beat Ueno (15-5) in the quarterfinals, centering the second consecutive rainbow podium of her career after the bronze medal in Milan 2023. It was third place in Tbilisi as well, due to a semifinal loss to Olympian Lee Kiefer, who won 15-10, leaving Martina Favaretto, however, with the pride of a great result.
First World Championships and first medal for Anna Cristino, who began her ride by first overcoming Sweden’s Schreiber (15-3) and then Ukraine’s Poloziuk (15-13). The Tuscan Carabiniere’s bronze medal day continued with a clear success over the American Scruggs (15-3). The first debut rainbow podium for the 2001-born Italian came thanks to a 10-8 success against the number 1 on the scoreboard, Canadian Harvey. The loss in the semifinals, with the result of 15-11, against France’s Ranvier, takes nothing away from Anna Cristino’s splendid performance, which ended on the third step of the podium.
Among women foilists, a medal narrowly missed for Martina Batini. The Tuscan finished 7th, defeated in a comeback in the quarterfinals by the U.S. Kiefer (15-13) who was able to regain as many as seven hits. Previously, Batini had overcome Poland’s Zurawska (15-12), Greece’s Chaldaiou (15-11) and Germany’s Holland-Cunz (15-1).
Stop in the round of 16 and 9th place finish instead for Arianna Errigo: the captain of the Italian foil beat Brazil’s Bulcao (15-7) and “neutral” Russian Martyanova (15-9), stopping against France’s Ranvier (15-4).
MALE SABRE
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Also shining with bronze is Luca Curatoli in men’s saber. The Campania athlete’s big day began with victories in the first two matches of the day against Britain’s Webb (15-13) and China’s Lin (15-6). In the round of 16 the Neapolitan of the Fiamme Oro overcame the Hungarian Rabb (15-8) thus arriving to play for a place on the podium. The certainty of a medal for the Italian, on the very day of his 31st birthday, came thanks to the success against the three-time Olympic champion, Hungary’s Aaron Szilagyi: Curatoli, subverting a score of 12 defeats and only one victory in his career in the challenges with the Magyar champion, won 15-12 thus returning to the medal zone in a World Championship after six years. Now as then it was bronze for Luca, beaten 15-13 in the semifinals by Jean Philipe Patrice at the end of a very balanced match in which the Italian was also penalized by a physical problem. But for Curatoli and for Italian saber it is a precious medal, which was missing precisely, at the individual level, since Budapest 2019.
Also among the saberists, excellent performance for Pietro Torre, who finished at the foot of the podium: 8th position for the Livornese who, coming back from the previous day’s qualification, beat Canadian Arfa (15-13), Romanian Covaliu (15-7) and Tunisian – and vice Olympic champion – Ferjani (15-13), stopping only in the presence of Egyptian Hesham (15-8). Next, 20th place for Michele Gallo and 43rd Matteo Neri.
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WORDS OF THE MEDALISTS
Special thought from Luca Curatoli: “On this beautiful day for me, between birthday and medal, I send a hug to Lorenzo, the gymnast victim of an accident at the Universiade, and his family. I have expressed great fencing and I am overjoyed with the milestone achieved.”
Thus Martina Favaretto: “I am back from a complicated period due to an injury and this bronze is definitely a medal won, which gives me great happiness.”
Emotion for Anna Cristino: “This result is a reward for the great work I have done and I am proud to be in the great elite of Italian women’s foil medalists.”
NOW THE TEAM RACE
The intense Friday of the World Championships in Tbilisi also featured the first knockout rounds of the men’s foil and women’s epee team competitions.
Italy’s foil fencers – with Guillaume Bianchi, Alessio Foconi, Filippo Macchi, and Tommaso Marini – beat Croatia in the round of 16 45-30, advancing to the round of 16 where they will face (at 8 a.m. Italian time) Singapore tomorrow.
Also among the top 16 is the Italian women’s epee team – with Rossella Fiamingo, Giulia Rizzi, Alberta Santuccio and Sara Maria Kowalczyk – who overcame in the 32-team draw with a result of 45-11 the Netherlands and tomorrow (10 a.m. in Italy) will face Hong Kong in the round of 16.
Also on Georgian Saturday, the preliminary rounds of the last two individual competitions will also be staged with seven Italians on the podium (swordsmen Davide Di Veroli and Andrea Santarelli, as well as saberist Michela Battiston, are already admitted by right of ranking). In men’s epee, Matteo Galassi and Valerio Cuomo will hunt for a pass for the following day. The same goal in women’s saber for Chiara Mormile, Eloisa Passaro and Mariella Viale.
MALE INDIVIDUAL SABRE RESULTS
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Ranking: 1. Sandro Bazadze (Geo), 2. Jean-Philippe Patrice (Fra), 3. Luca Curatoli (ITA), 3. Ahmed Hesham (Egy)
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The other Italians: 8. Pietro Torre, 20. Michele Gallo, 43. Matteo Neri
Final
Bazadze (Geo) b. Patrice JP (Fra) 15-9
Semifinals
Patrice JP (Fra) b. Curatoli (ITA) 15-13
Bazadze (Geo) b. Hesham (Egy) 15-10
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Quarterfinals
Curatoli (ITA) b. Szilagyi (Hun) 15-12
Hesham (Egy) b. Torre (ITA) 15-8
Eighth finals
Torre (ITA) b. Ferjani (Tun) 15-13
Curatoli (ITA) b. Rabb (Hun) 15-8
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Table of 32
Torre (ITA) b. Covaliu (Rou) 15-7
Curatoli (ITA) b. Lin (Chn) 15-6
Rabb (Hun) b. Gallo (ITA) 15-7
Table of 64
Torre (ITA) b. Arfa (Can) 15-13
Curatoli (ITA) b. Webb (Gbr) 15-13
Lin (Chn) b. Neri (ITA) 15-14
Gallo (ITA) b. Statsenko (Ukr) 15-12
FEMALE INDIVIDUAL FIORETTO RESULTS
Ranking: 1. Lee Kiefer (USA), 2. Pauline Ranvier (Fra), 3. Anna Cristino (ITA), 3. Martina Favaretto (ITA).
The other Italians: 7. Martina Batini, 9. Arianna Errigo
Final
Kiefer (Usa) b. Ranvier (Fra) 15-4
Semifinals
Ranvier (Fra) b. Cristino (ITA) 15-11
Kiefer (Usa) b. Favaretto (ITA) 15-10
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Quarterfinals
Favaretto (ITA) b. Ueno (Jpn) 15-5
Cristino (ITA) b. Harvey (Can) 10-8
Kiefer (USA) b. Batini (ITA) 15-13
Eighth finals
Cristino (ITA) b. Scruggs (Usa) 15-3
Ranvier (Fra) b. Errigo (ITA) 15-4
Favaretto (ITA) b. Tsuji (Jpn) 15-2
Batini (ITA) b. Holland-Cunz (Ger) 15-1
Table of 32
Cristino (ITA) b. Poloziuk (Ukr) 15-13
Errigo (ITA) b. Martyanova (Ain) 15-9
Favaretto (ITA) b. Blaze (Fra) 14-9
Batini (ITA) b. Chaldaiou (Gre) 15-11
Set from 64
Cristino (ITA) b. Schreiber (Swe) 15-3
Errigo (ITA) b. Bulcao (Bra) 15-7
Favaretto (ITA) b. Druck (Isr) 15-5
Batini (ITA) b. Zurawska (Pol) 15-12
