Turin is growing. From 28 to 30 November, the subalpine capital will host the "Trofeo Inalpi - the FIE men's and women's foil World Grand Prix". For the seventh time in a row, the FIE (Federation International d'Escrime) and the Italian Fencing Federation have commissioned the Accademia Scherma Marchesa to organise an event of the foil World Cup, which has a particular meaning this year: Turin is the only European city, as well as the first of the nine world stages of the "FIE Grand Prix" circuit, also including, for what regards foil, Havana and Shanghai. A true revolution in the FIE calendar, which, starting this year, schedules at the same time both the men's and the women's competition, thus bringing together in three days of fencing all the leading figures of the speciality.
For the first time in its history, Turin will see the men's world foil arrive on its platforms. The event will benefit from the patronage and support of the Piedmont Region, the Province and City of Turin, as well as the collaboration of the Regional Piedmont CONI.
The special patroness of the FIE Grand Prix in Turin will be Margherita Granbassi, who won the individual world title in Turin in 2006, conquering the Turin public and allowing herself to be conquered by the Savoy city.
The competition, enjoying the media partnership of the sports publication TUTTOSPORT, will be broadcast by RAI and EUROSPORT.
The PalaRuffini di Torino will host the finals and the Sisport Torino will host the qualification rounds for both men and women on Friday 28 November. The competitions, which only include individual events and grant points which are the double of those in classical World Cup events, will include all men and women foil fencers on the world stage, also taking into account the fact that the Turin appointment is the "absolute first" of the new World Grand Prix Series launched by the FIE.
For what regards Italian athletes, the representatives of the multiple award-winning Italian Dream Team will be present, team World Champions in 2014 in Kazan: Arianna Errigo, Elisa Di Francisca, Valentina Vezzali and Martina Batini.
At the men's foil event, for the first time in Turin, the platform will receive the top representatives of the Italian national team, bronze medal in team events at the World Championships 2014 in Kazan: Andrea Baldini, Andrea Cassarà, Giorgio Avola, Valerio Aspromonte.
This year, the "Trofeo Inalpi" will help collect funds to support the Burn Centre of the Regina Margherita Hospital in Turin, the only such institution for children in Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta, which receives all complex cases from regional hospitals, via the initiative "Santa Claus in good form" promoted by the Association FORMA Onlus.
On Friday 28 November, the platforms installed at the Sisport will also host the meeting with school pupils: thanks to the collaboration with the Regional Directorate of the MIUR, pupils of the elementary, middle, and upper schools of Turin and the province will have the opportunity to watch the qualifying stages by joining the initiative by 26 November.