Cadet World Champs Starts off with Thriller

Alexander Ryjik (USA) finished 13th. Photo by Serge Timacheff

The Cadet Men’s Sabre event featured an all-German final as Richard HÜBERS squared off against Maximilian Kindler. The teammates provided an exciting match as Hubers raced off to an 8-4 lead in the first period. After the break Kindler mounted a comeback, tieing the score at 11. The two traded touches and Kindler got to match point at 14-13. Huber then tied the match at 14 and won the next touch, winning 15-14.

In Cadet Women’s Epee, Katherine Holmes was stopped short in her bid for a Cadet Championship by Italy’s Alberta Santuccio.  Holmes finished 5th.

Richard HÜBERS – Cadet Men’s Sabre Champion

Alberta Santuccio – Cadet Women’s Epee Champion

Will Spear led the US today with a 9th place finish. Spear won all of his preliminary bouts and emerged with the #3 seed heading into the direct eliminations. He had a first round bye, then defeated Bulgaria’s Lyuboslav Burnev 15-6. In the round of 16, Spear drew Hungary’s Andras Szatmari and lost a heartbreaker 15-14.

Also finishing in the top 16 was Alexander RYJIK. Ryjik went 4-2 in pools to enter the elimination rounds as the #17 seed. In his opening round match he crushed Canada’s Kieran Steer 15-1, then outpaced Korea’s Jonghun Song 15-10. In the round of 16 Ryjik lost 15-11 to the #1 fencer Leonardo Affede (ITA).

Eugene Chung (USA) started the day off strong with a 5-1 record in pools, earning the #7 seed and a first round bye. The rest did not do Chung well, however, as he started off his bout with Ivan Gavrilov (RUS) down 4-0. Chung would enter the break down 8-2. In the second period Chung did better, but was unable to mount a run and traded touches with Gavrilov, how won the match 15-8.

Women’s Epee – Holmes Denied Repeat

Katherine Holmes, last year’s silver medalist, was stopped short in her bid for a Cadet Champion by Italy’s Alberta Santuccio (left). Santuccio broke the quarterfinal bout open in the second period with 4-1 run over Holmes to lead 6-2 leading into the 3rd and final period. Holmes was unable to find an answer as Santuccio started the 3rd period with a 4-0 run to put the bout out of reach. Santuccio won 15-5.

Santuccio went on to defeat Amalia Tataran (ROU) 15-11 in the semi-finals and matched up with LEE Hye Won (KOR) in the final.

In the finals, Santuccio took command with a 5-2 lead and then extended that to a 10-5 lead with 1 minute remaining in the 2nd period. Lee attempted to score at the close of the 2nd period, but Santuccio doubled out, leaving the score at 13-6 going into the 3rd and final period, where she won 15-7.

Ashley Severson (USA) went 5-1 in the preliminary round to enter the eliminations seeded 7th. She won her first match 8-5 against China’s Yiwen Jiang and then lost 15-14 to Julia Morawietz (GER). Severson finished 20th. Isabella Barna (USA) went 3-3 in pools and lost her first elimination match to Tataran (ROU) 15-8. She finished 41st.

Final Placement: Cadet Men’s Sabre

Final Placement: Cadet Women’s Epee