LAUSANNE (October 12) – Cancun is gearing up to host the first World Cup event of the 2016-17 season this weekend, when more than 90 of the world’s top women’s foilists will descend on the Caribbean resort.
World No. 1 Arianna Errigo leads a strong field including America’s Lee Kiefer, the world No. 4, and two other Italians inside the top 10: Martina Batini and Alice Volpe.
Errigo and Kiefer were strong medal contenders at the Rio Olympics but were both defeated in the second round.
The World Cup is the second-most valuable event category of the season in terms of points available, after the Grand Prix Series.
Top-level fencers compete in five World Cups and three Grands Prix over the course of the season.
The other four World Cups in the women’s foil will be held in St-Maur (France), Algiers (Algeria), Gdansk (Poland) and Tauberbischofsheim (Germany).
Cancun will also host the first sabre Grand Prix of the season on December 16-18.