It has been a whirlwind of excitement and busy schedules for Canadian fencers as each week is packed with school, work, training, and weekends are spent traveling, often internationally, to compete – and these past two weeks were no different. 

The weekend of October 19-20 saw fencers compete in Senior Satellite events in Antalya (Turkey), Zagreb (Croatia), and San Jose (Costa Rica), with podium finishes from Gabriella Page (2nd, Antalya, Women’s Sabre), Vanessa Dib and Ka Yan Sze (tied 3rd, San Jose, Women’s Epee). As well, Canada had a complete podium sweep in the Men’s Epee Satellite event in San Jose from Dylan French (1st), Marc-Antoine Blais-Belanger (2nd), and Samuel Gallagher-Pelletier (3rd).

Other notable finishes in the top 16 from that weekend include: Blake Broszus (13th, Zagreb, MF), Maximilien van Haaster (15th, Zagreb, MF), Justine Boudreau (10th, San Jose, WE), Christina Zozulya (11th, San Jose, WE) Elisabeta Havkins (13th, San Jose, WE), Karen Robertson (14th, San Jose, WE),  Zi Shan Guo (16th, San Jose WE), Jason Harel (9th, San Jose, ME), and Riley Norman (14th, San Jose, ME).

The weekend of October 26-27 saw fencers take to the international stage once again in senior Satellite competitions, this time in Barcelona (Spain), and Tbilisi (Georgia). This weekend we saw two podium finishes, from Jessica Zi Jia Guo (3rd, Barcelona, Women’s Foil) and Maximilien van Haaster (3rd, Barcelona, Men’s Foil). 

Other notable finishes in the top 16: Gabriella Page (9th, Tbilisi, Women’s Sabre), Alanna Goldie (7th, Barcelona, Women’s Foil), and Kelleigh Ryan (16th, Barcelona, Women’s Foil). 

Canadians will be in action next weekend (Nov. 2-3) in FIE Senior Satellite competitions in London and Tallin, trying to earn valuable FIE points towards qualification for Tokyo 2020.

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