Over the weekend, Canadian fencers competed in half a dozen locations around the world, with 14 top 16 finishes. 

The Bratislava Cadet Circuit saw a podium finish from Grace Hu (VGO, Ontario), who placed 3rd. Hu made it to the podium by first beating Anais Pujol (ESP) in the table of 256; Cecilia Colombini (ITA) in the table of 128; Giovannella Somma (ITA) in the table of 64; Julia Andrasfi (HUN) in the table of 16; and Sophie Peat (GBR) in the quarter finals. Hu lost to Iulia Polozova (RUS), who came second overall. As well, a notable finish by Janet Chen (DYN, British Columbia) who placed 13th. The team of cadet women’s epee of Grace Hu, Grace Xu (TFC, Ontario), Ava Zheng (VGO, Ontario), and Heidi Chenxi Zhu (VGO, Ontario) placed 14th overall.

Bogdan Hamilton (UNA, Quebec), who fenced cadet men’s foil in Bratislava, placed 9th overall. He earned his finish by topping his pool and receiving a bye to the table of 128. In that table, Hamilton fenced, and beat, Dario Stenbeck-Schiavo (GBR); won the table of 64 against Albert Bagdany (HUN); and table of 32 against Stephan Martynovich (RUS). Hamilton was defeated by James Chen (USA) 15-11 in the table of 16.

The Canadian cadet men’s foil teams both placed well, with Canada 1 placing 3rd and Canada 2 14th. On Canada 1 was Bogdan Hamilton, Caden Lee (TFC, Ontario), and Adam Wong (DYN, British Columbia); while Canada 2 was comprised of Joel Gervais (OTT, Ontario), Jiaan Li (NYF, Ontario), and Nicholas Wu (HHF, Ontario).

In Katowice, Poland, senior women’s foil fencer Jessica Zi Jia Guo (Ontario) placed 10th, beating Zander Rhodes (USA) in the table of 64, and Hiu Wai Valerie Cheng (CHN) in the table of 32. Guo unfortunately was defeated in the table of 16, 15-8, to Inna Deriglazova of Russia. The senior women’s foil team event saw Canada place 11th in Katowice. The team comprised of Jane Caulfield (Alberta), Alanna Goldie (Alberta), Jessica Zi Jia Guo, and Kelleigh Ryan (Ontario).

In Meylan at the Cadet Circuit, Olivier Desrosiers (SRN, Quebec) placed 6th. Desrosier cleaned up in the pool stage, winning all 5 bouts, and earned a bye to the table of 64 where he fenced Yasen Stoyanov (BUL), winning 15-11. In the table of 32, Desrosiers won 15-10 over Matisse Paccard (FRA), and in the table of 16 he faced Yago Moran (ESP) and won in a close bout of 15-14. Desrosier unfortunately fell to Bulgaria’s Todot Stoychev in the table of 8. Stoychev went on to place 3rd. Additionally, Xavier Guay-Tardif (HES, Quebec) and Jack Yuxiang Pan (DYN, British Columbia) placed 15th and 16th, respectively. 

Lastly, team events had top 16 finishes at the following competitions:

Cadet women’s foil team in Poznan, Poland: 14th

•  Isabella Sabatini (TFC, Ontario), Xiangxin He (HHF, Ontario), Catherine Wu (HHF, Ontario) and Jessie Chen (NYF, Ontario)

Senior women’s epee team in Havana, Cuba: 10th

• Zi Shan Guo (Ontario),  Ariane Leonard (Quebec), Leonora Mackinnon (Ontario), and Alexanne Verret (Quebec)

Senior men’s foil in Paris, France: 15th

• Pierre Olivier Bontems (Quebec), Blake Broszus (Quebec), Alex Cai (Quebec) and Maximilien van Haaster (Quebec)

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