The Bedford Open Epee Tournament 11th October 2015 Bedford Fencing Club Bedford Fencing Club

Parries at the Pyramids, Gold medals

Monday, 21st October 2019

Five of the Best!

 

Club members Silvia and Andrew Brown, Adrian Griffin, Caroline Clancy and John Prime qualified to represent Great Britain at the Veterans World Championships in Cairo 2019.

 

Silvia Brown wins two gold medals 

 

 This double  Gold Medal win - both individual and team Gold - is quite extraordinary at a World Championship!

 

She won the individual Sabre in the 70+ age group. Seeded third after the pools, she continued through the direct elimination bouts to meet another Brit in the final.  In a close fight, Silvia won through to take her first World Championship title.

You can watch her fence on Final day 1 

 

Next day she  fenced in the GB women's sabre team.   This team included two from each age group, 50+, 60+ and 70+, and had a former World Champion, Jane Hutchinson as Captain. 

In a pool of 7 teams - Germany, GB, France, Italy, Australia & United States GB were seeded third after the pools.  They won through after defeating USA in the Semi-finals to meet  the first seed, the Germans on the finals piste.  Leading all the way, they closed out at 30-15, to win the only GB Team Gold Medal.

 

 

 

 

 

Andrew Brown (Cat C 70+  Epee) also did well coming 6th out of a field of 45.

 

Andrew only lost one fight in the pool and then won a couple of tough direct elimination  fights against a Japanese and a Spaniard to take him to the last 8.

Next he came up against the second seed, a  Frenchman..  10 seconds before the end of the bout they were equal at 7-all. The Frenchman launched a fast attack, scoring the winning hit and went on to the semi-finals. At 6th Andrew was top British 70+ epeeist so was very pleased with his peformance.

His last 8 fight is on YouTube 

 

 

Adrian Griffin (Cat A 50+ Foil)

 

Adrian was in a group of 50 fencers and had a tough pool of 5 but won 2 fights.  Seeded 34 he beat his opponent 10-5 who was seeded above him in the  first DE. This gave him 31st seed and as such he took on Jesus Manuel Villadoniga from Spain - the number 2 seed.  In an exciting fight he lost 10-6. Villadoniga went on to come 5th. Adrian ended a credible 31st.

 

Adrian was also part of a 6 man foil team the following day.   Their Captain was John Troiano (one of the 60+ fencers) GB faced Japan, Russia and France.

Fening to 30 hits they beat Japan 27/16, and France 30/20. A strong Russian team narrowly beat them by 3 hits 30/27.

This gave the team 5th seeding and another match against Japan who this time were victorious at 30/17. Japan went on to win the bronze medal.

 

Caroline Clancy (Cat A 50+ Sabre)

 

Caroline was seeded  11 in a group of 29 for 50+ and in a difficult pool of 5 managed to come 3rd after facing the German number one seed and a new veteran 999 a French lady who finished in overall 5th place.  Unfortunately for Caroline she then lost her DE to her friend and Italian sparring partner Lo Muzio.

 

 

 

John Prime (Cat A 50+Epee)

 

In his first World Championships John was competing in a huge field of 71 in the 50+ age group.

Jeremy Baker who used to fence at Bedford was also in Cairo in this age group (he reached the last 32).

Fencing in pools of 7 John won 2 fights and narrowly lost one 5/4.

This placed him 50th seed and so he got a bye to the last 64. In he Direct Elimination bout he came up against Eric Grand D'Hauteville from Switzerland the 15th seed. In a close fight he lost 10/8. His opponent reached the last 8 to take 6th place

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

John also qualified for the Men's Epee Team, captained by another former World Champion, Graham Paul. In the pools GB beat Japan 30/27 and lost to Germany 27/23.

In the DE they beat Canada 30-20 but lost ot first seed Italy 30/19 in the last 8.

Team GB ended 7 out of 14 teams.

 

All photos by Gillian Aghajan