BUDAPEST, Hungary, March 8-10, 2024 – Hungary’s Anna Kun and France’s world champion Yannick Borel won gold medals at the 2024 Budapest “Westend” Epee Grand Prix. The event took place at the BOK Hall (former SYMA Hall) with 322 women and 393 men participating in the competition. The Grand Prix was dedicated to the memories of József Sákovics for the women’s and Győző Kulcsár for the men’s events.
Kun faced teammate Eszter Muhari in the final bout of women’s individual epee, winning with a 15-11 score. In the semifinal round, Muhari won against Brazil’s world champion Nathalie Moellhausen, 15-12, while Kun defeated France’s world champion Marie-Florence Candassamy, 15-11. Of note, in the quarterfinals Candassamy beat China’s Olympic champion Yiwen Sun, 15-7; in the round of 16, Kun won against Italy’s two-time world champion Rossella Fiamingo, 15-8; and in the table of 32, China’s Junyao Tang defeated Korea’s world champion Sera Song, 15-13, before being eliminated by Muhari in the round of 16, 15-9.
Borel faced Hungary’s world champion Gergely Siklosi in the final bout of men’s individual epee, winning with a 15-11 score. In the semifinal round, Siklosi won against teammate and world champion Mate Tamas Koch, 15-7, while Borel defeated Korea’s Youngjun Kweon, 15-14. Of note, in the round of 32, Egypt’s Mohamed Yasseen beat France’s world and Olympic champion Romain Cannone, 15-14, before being eliminated by Siklosi in the round of 16, 15-12.
Overall rankings in women’s individual epee included Anna Kun (HUN, gold), Eszter Muhari (HUN, silver), Marie-Florence Candassamy (FRA, bronze), Nathalie Moellhausen (BRA, bronze), Man Wai Vivian Kong (HKG), Alexandra Louis Marie (FRA), Yiwen Sun (CHN) and Erika Kirpu (EST).
Overall rankings in men’s individual epee included Yannick Borel (FRA, gold), Gergely Siklosi (HUN, silver), Mate Tamas Koch (HUN, bronze), Youngjun Kweon (KOR, bronze), Koki Kano (JPN), Samuel Unterhauser (GER), Andrea Santarelli (ITA) and Miguel Frazao (POR).
Complete and official results for this event may be found here on the FIE web site. For more exciting world fencing news and features, check out the YouTube FIE Fencing Channel