SHANGHAI (June 4) – Arianna Errigo claimed her fourth title of the season on Saturday with a 15-8 victory over Lee Kiefer of the United States to win the Westgate Shopping Mall Shanghai Fencing Grand Prix in women’s foil.
The Italian beat Kiefer in the final of the Havana Grand Prix earlier in the season and scored an even more convincing win in China, host for the last Grand Prix of the season.
“I feel very good because I won this Grand Prix,” Errigo said. “I am happy because this day has been very, very hard for me. I was very focused.”
With world No. 1 Inna Deriglazova crashing out in the table of 64, the result sees Errigo reclaim the world the top spot with one ranking event remaining – the European championships later this month in Torun, Poland.
“I am very happy because now I am No. 1 in the ranking. It’s a very good feeling,” Errigo said. Kiefer, for her part, moves into the top three, a career high, and still has the PanAmerican championships later this month to improve further ahead of the Rio Olympics.
The bronze medals went to Martina Batini of Italy and Ysaora Thibus of France, who were both ousted 15-5 by Kiefer and Errigo, respectively.
All but Batini have qualified for the Rio Games. In other notable results, Deriglazova lost 13-12 to Karin Miyawaki of Japan in the table of 64, while her Russian compatriot Aida Shanaeva, the world No. 5, lost out to another Russian Leyla Pirieva 15-17 at the same stage.
The men’s foil is Sunday. A live stream is provided in collaboration with the Chinese Fencing Federation and the Zhibo.tv website. A list of fencers who have qualified for Rio can be accessed at the International Fencing Federation’s dedicated Rio 2016 portal here.
The men’s foil is Sunday. A live stream is provided in collaboration with the Chinese Fencing Federation and the Zhibo.tv website.
A list of fencers who have qualified for Rio can be accessed at the International Fencing Federation’s dedicated Rio 2016 portal here.
For complete results, click here.
Photo © Serge Timacheff