USA’s Jacob Hoyle has won his first Grand Prix medal after losing to world number one and eventual winner Yannick Borel in the semifinals of the Qatar Epee Grand Prix in Doha.
World Champion Yannick Borel, who has won every event he has competed in since a World Cup meeting in Cali, Columbia in May, 2018 — including the world championships in China — was too good for Spain’s world number 11, Yulen Pereira, in the final, for whom it was a best ever result at this level.
Hoyle, who is a two-time NCAA individual epee champion (2015 and 2016) for Columbia University, also achieved his best international result by clearing his qualifying group and beating 2018 Ukrainian world championship bronze medalist Roman Svichar, 15-10 to advance to the semifinal against Borel.
Borel was too good for the less-experienced American, winning 15-10 before running through the final 15-4 against Pereira.
In the women’s competition, it was another world champion, Julie Beljajeva from Estonia, who was too good Ukraine’s Kseniya Pantelyeyeva, 15-11 in their final. She had beaten Russia’s Violetta Kolobova, 15-12 in their semi-final to continue the run of career-best performances in Doha while Beljajeva was too good for Korea’s Hyojung Jung, 15-6. Reigning world champion from Italy Mara Navarria was another of her victims in the table of 16, losing 15-12.
Women’s Individual
1. Julia Beljajeva (EST, gold)
2. Kseniya Pantelyeyeva (UKR, silver)
3. Hyojung Jung (KOR, bronze)
3. Violetta Kolobova (RUS, bronze)
5. Mingye Zhu (CHN)
6. Ewa Trzebinska (POL)
7. Pauline Brunner (SUI)
8. Yana Shemyakina (UKR).
Men’s Individual
1. Yannick Borel (FRA, gold)
2. Yulen Pereira (ESP, silver)
3. Jacob Hoyle (USA, bronze)
3. Bogdan Nikishin (UKR, bronze)
5. Roman Svichkar (UKR)
6. Ronan Gustin (FRA)
7. Ido Harper (ISR)
8. Sergey Bida (RUS)