Canada capped off the Cadet competition of the 2017 Junior and Cadet World Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria with an impressive silver medal in the Mixed Team competition today.

Canada’s Mixed 3-Weapon Team of Blake Brozsus (Men’s Foil, Canadian living in the US), Francois Cauchon (Men’s Sabre, BRE, Montreal, QC), Jane Caulfield (Women’s Foil, EFC, Edmonton, AB) Fynn Fafard (Men’s Epee, DYN, Robert’s Creek, BC), Marina Guintchitskaia (Women’s Sabre, SSC, Edmonton, AB), Seraphim Hsief Jarov (Men’s Epee, DYN, Surrey, BC) and Ariane Leonard (Women’s Epee, OLM, Saint-Lambert, QC) showed Canada’s great depth across all weapons. Canada defeated Great Britain 30-21 to advance to the quarter-finals where they faced Italy. Canada defeated Italy 30-22 to advance to the semi-finals where they faced Team Korea and won 30-25. Canada faced Team Russia in the final. The teams were tied at 11 mid way through the bout before Russia pulled away to take the gold 30-21 and giving Canada the silver medal.

Earlier in the week, several Cadet-aged (U17) Canadians finished just off the podium in Individual competition.

Blake Broszus (Canadian living in the US) finished in 5^th place in Cadet Men’s Foil, losing his quarter-final bout a close 15-13 to Italian Alessio Di Tommaso who won bronze in the event. Broszus went a perfect 6 wins and 0 losses in poules, giving him a bye to the top 64. There he defeated an Australian 15-1. Broszus won his top 32 bout 15-11 against Youssef Sanaa from Eqypt and defeated German Arwen Borowiak 15-4 to advance to the quarter-finals. Broszus has also qualified for the junior competition taking place later this week.

Canadian Cynthia Liu (EFC, Canadian living in the US) finished 7^th in Cadet Women’s Foil, losing her quarter-final bout to Adelina Bikbulatova of Russia 15-8. The Russian went on to win gold in the event. Liu had a bye to the 64’s where she won 15-12. She defeated Johanna Feron of Germany 15-10 in the 32’s and then won 15-7 against Arisa Kano of Japan in the 16’s to advance to the quarter-finals.   Jane Caulfield (EFC, Edmonton, AB) and Ying Cao (TFC, Toronto, ON) both finished in the top 32’s in 19^th and 29^th respectively.

Ariane Leonard (OLY, Saint-Lambert, QC) also had a great tournament. Leonard finished 11^th in Cadet Women’s Epee. She had 5 wins and 1 loss in poules which gave her a bye to the top 64.   She defeated Egypt’s Mariam Amer 9-6 in the 64’s and then won 15-10 against’s Italy’s Sara Maria Kowalcyk of Italy in the 32’s. Leonard’s day came to an end in the 16’s when she faced Tamara Gnam of Hungary, losing 15-6. Gnam went on to win silver in the event.

Fynn Fafard (DYN, Roberts Creek, BC) also finished top 16. Fafard lost a heartbreaker in the 16’s by the score of 13-12 to Khasan Boudunov of Kazakhstan to finish 12^th overall out of 132 athletes. Seraphim Hsief Jarov (DYN, Surrey, BC) also had a good tournament, finishing 18^th overall.

Two Canadians finished in the top 32’s in Men’s Sabre. Francois Cauchon and Angelo Chiara, both from Montreal and Brebeuf, finished 20^th and 24^th respectively.

The Cadet competition comes to an end today, with the Junior Individual Competition starting on Wednesday.

For results and photos from the event, please visit the CFF Facebook page or the event host site for live action: http://fencingplovdiv.com/world/live-streaming/

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