Alexandra Louis-Marie won this Saturday in Plovdiv the title of European epee champion by dominating Maria Navarra in the final. Aurianne Mallo, beaten by her compatriot in the semi-finals, won the bronze medal. Sébastien Patrice, meanwhile, won bronze in the sabre.
The French fencing team unlocks its counter in Plovdiv. After Romain Cannone’s disappointment in the men’s epee event and Morgane Patru’s failure in the women’s foil quarter-finals on Friday, Alexandra Louis-Marie responded to the women’s epee. Seeded number 15 in the tournament, the native of Fort-de-France had a perfect day to seek her first continental title. After a very large victory over the Spanish Sofia Cisneros for her entry into the running (15-4), Alexandra Louis-Marie had to strip herself to validate her place in the round of 16 at the expense of the Polish Magdalena Pawlowska (15-13) . Opposed to another representative of Poland, the seeded number 2 Renata Knapik-Miazga, the Habs knew how to keep their nerves to win by the smallest of margins (14-13). Kristina Kuusk was then on her way to the quarter-final stage but there was absolutely no match. Indeed, the Estonian was largely dominated by her opponent (15-5), who then had an appointment with another Frenchwoman, Aurianne Mallo for a place in the final.
Eurooooooooop Champion!! Well done Alexandra!!!!
— French Fencing Federation (@ffescrime) June 17, 2023
Louis-Marie dominating in the final
Successes which automatically ensured two medals for the French team, since the two unfortunate semi-finalists left with the bronze medal. Before challenging her compatriot, the Lyonnaise was exempted from the first round due to her status as the number 6 seed. She then dominated Emma Fransson (15-8) then Alexandra Ehler (15-6) and Anna Kun (13 -12). A Franco-French duel which was very tense and which was played out for little. With two touches in advance, Alexandra Louis-Marie validated her ticket for the final (15-13), with Mara Navarria who was her advantage. A final that was one-sided in favor of the Habs (15-8), which won a beautiful gold medal just over a year from Paris 2024. It also puts an end to five years of waiting in the discipline since the title acquired in 2008 by Coraline Vitalis. Aurianne Mallo, meanwhile, shares the third step of the podium with the Estonian Nelli Differt. The other two French representatives in the discipline fell in the round of 16 for Coraline Vitalis and in the quarter-finals for Marie-Florence Candassamy.
The fishing has begun! #eurofencing #fencing pic.twitter.com/0sVAovNCce
— French Fencing Federation (@ffescrime) June 17, 2023
Patrice wins saber bronze
If the French women’s team has doubled its medal counter, the Blues are not left out. At the end of the men’s saber tournament, Sébastien Patrice went for the bronze. The 23-year-old shooter began his career with a success in the round of 16 against Andres Hernandez Caballero (15-9) before continuing against Matteo Neri (15-9) before reaching the semi-finals thanks to a success on Matyas Szabo (15-13). Opposed to Andras Szatmari for a place in the final, the step was a little too high for Sébastien Patrice, who lost by a narrow margin (15-14). The Hungarian then fell to Georgian Sandro Bazadze, seeded number 1, for the European title (15-11). The latter had previously got the better of Bolade Apithy in the quarter-finals (15-7). Maxime Pianfetti also failed at this stage of the competition against Enver Yildirim (15-12). This Sunday, at the conclusion of these individual European championships, Enzo Lefort, Maxime Pauty, Rafael Savin and Alexandre Ediri will be engaged in men’s foil. Margaux Rifkiss, Sara Balzer, Cécilia Berder and Manon Apithy-Brunet will represent the French team in women’s saber.
