Errigo wins women’s foil as Italians dominate World Cup fencing opener in Cancun

In a competition dominated by Italian competitors, the world number one defeated compatriot Elisa Vardaro in the final by 15 touches to 6.

Errigo lead a strong field of more than 90 of the world’s top women’s foilists which included world number four Lee Kiefer of the USA and two other Italians – Martina Batini and Alice Volpe, who are also ranked inside the top 10.

Errigo and Batini came face to face in the semi-finals and it was the former who prevailed with some ease, winning by a 15 – 3 scoreline; this after Errigo had accounted for another Italian, Camilla Mancini, 15-14 in the quarter-finals.

Vardaro had to negotiate her way past two Americans fencers to make the Final, beating Kiefer 15-11 in the quarter-finals and then Nicole Ross by the same scoreline in the semi-finals.

USA fared a little better In the women’s team foil competition by claiming the silver medal but it was Italy who again took gold.
After defeating Japan 45-26 in the quarter-finals and then Germany 45-28 in the semi-finals, the Italians with their medal winning trio of Errigo, Batini and Vardaro, showed no signs of relenting as they went on to win 45-36 in the final.

The USA – who had both Ross and Liefer in their line-up, had made the final by eliminating Poland in the quarterfinals by a 45-39 scoreline. They then advanced to the gold-medal match after defeating world number four-ranked France in the semi-final by a 45-37 margin.

Having earned earned two bronze medal finishes last season, silver on this occasion for the USA was the team’s highest finish at a world cup since January 2015, when they won silver in Gdansk, Poland.

Events in Cancun marked the first step on the road to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The World Cup is the second-most valuable event category of the season in terms of points available, after the Grand Prix Series, and top-level fencers compete in five World Cups and three Grand Prix events over the course of the season.

Four other World Cup events are scheduled for this season to be held in St.-Maur, France; Algiers, Algeria; Gdansk; and Tauberbischofsheim, Germany.

Cancun will also host the first sabre Grand Prix of the season from 16 to 18 December.