Italy’s former world champion Andrea Cassara has won his first World Cup gold in over four years in St. Petersburg, defeating compatriot Alessio Foconi in the final. Team USA took gold in the team event over Hong Kong in what was the final World Cup event of the season, but an important one for Olympic qualification.
Italian fencing legend Andrea Cassara has won his 17th career World Cup gold — his first in over four years — at the recently completed Men’s Foil World Cup event in St. Petersburg, Russia. The Italians made it a one-two finish, as current world champion and world number one Alessio Foconi was his opponent in the final. Cassara was victorious by a score line of 15-13 to claim his fifth title in St. Petersburg, his first coming in 2004 and most recent before the weekend in 2011.
To reach the gold medal match, Foconi had out-touched French veteran Erwann Le Pechoux 15-12, while Cassara was too good (15-4) for Germany’s Benjamin Kleibrink. Kleinbrink’s bronze was his first senior international medal since a silver at the European championships of 2012 in Italy. He competed at the London Olympics but then took a four-year hiatus from the sport.
In the teams event, USA’s world number two, Race Imboden, who was beaten into fifth place by Kleibrink in the individual competition, led his team of Gerek Meinhardt, Miles Chamley-Watson and Alexander Massialas to victory over Hong Kong. Korea defeated France in the playoff for bronze, while Italy finished out of the medals in fifth. The win took USA back to the number one world ranking.
FULL RESULTS
Individual Men’s Foil
1. Andrea Cassara (ITA, Gold)
2. Alessio Foconi (ITA, Silver)
3. Benjamin Kleibrink (GER, Bronze)
3. Erwann Le Pechoux (FRA, Bronze)
5. Race Imboden (USA)
6. Alexey Cheremisinov (RUS)
7. Taegyu Ha (KOR)
8. Klod Yunes (UKR)
Team Men’s Foil
1. USA (Gold)
2. Hong Kong (Silver)
3. Korea (Bronze)
4. France
5. Italy
6. Great Britain
7. Russia
8. Egypt.
