Wales make their mark at two big competitions in Cardiff

Gary Baker on 21/12/2011

Cardiff hosted two of British fencing's biggest events in November, with the Welsh Open competition being staged at Sophia Gardens just a week after the Five Nations tournament at Cardiff University's Talybont sports facility.

The Welsh Open is one of the biggest individual competitions in the fencing calendar and hundreds of competitors entered, including a number of Olympic hopefuls looking to impress.

The standard was extremely high as a result and only one Welsh fencer was among the medals: Wrexham's David Gregory, who won bronze in the men's epee.

However, further down the order, there were still valuable ranking points to be won and a number of South Wales fencers boosted their British standings as a result.

In the Welsh Open men's foil, Cardiff's Ethan Ridsdale was the highest placed in 13th, with Chris Wild, representing Cardiff University, in 17th and Edward Sibert, also Cardiff University, in 24th.

Cardiff's Nick Lee was 29th among the male competitors in the epee, with James Harrington, also of Cardiff, in 34th.

Newport's Abi Difford, fencing for Cardiff University and Gwent Sword Club, was the leading competitor in the women's foil, coming in 28th.

But Erion Spinlove, another student at the University in the Welsh capital, was an outstanding ninth among the women epee players.

The previous week saw Wales finish third in the Five Nations competition.

The women's foil team finished second, the women's epee were fourth and, in the remaining four weapons, Wales were third. Overall, England triumphed ahead of Scotland, with Northern Ireland fourth and the Republic of Ireland fifth.

Meanwhile, a junior open foil competition was held alongside this year's Welsh Open for the first time.

The standard was high, with a number of the Under-14 fencers also taking part in the senior competition, although most medals were won by local competitors.

At Under-10 level, host club Russell Swords had a clean sweep of the medals. Owain Carbis and Poppy James won gold, Cardiff's Matthew Williams won the boys' under-12 top prize, while the under-14 winners were Gwent's Hugh Kocan, and Molly Balyer, of Cardiff.

A mix of youth and experience was apparent in fencing's Welsh intermediate epee competitions this year, with both camps able to claim some success.

In the men's Turner Cup competition, teenager George Hawksworth, of Cardiff, triumphed at the expense of his father, Nick, who had to settle for silver.

In the women's equivalent, the Kingston Cup, Gwent Sword Club veteran Catherine Fisher took gold at the expense of Cardiff youngster Elinor Robinson.

Welsh Fencing's chairman Bob Turner has been awarded a Torch Trophy for services to fencing.

Cardiff's Nick Lee led the way for South Wales competitors in the Hereford and Worcester Open competition, winning bronze in the men's epee. Club-mate Beatrice Fannon was 14th in the women's epee.

Cardiff-based, Max Weedon, representing the Army, was sixth in the men's foil, with George Orchart (Swansea University / Gwent Sword Club) 15th and Gwent's Chris Baker 47th.

Abi Difford (Cardiff University / Gwent Sword Club) was 17th in the women's foil, with Marisol Russell (Russell Swords) 21st, while Tom Martin (Russell Swords) was 18th in the men's sabre.


Results

Welsh Open South Wales (Welsh fencers)

Men's foil: 13, Ethan Ridsdale (Cardiff); 17, Chris Wild (Cardiff University); 24, Edward Sibert (Cardiff University); 25, James Wood-Fisher (Gwent Sword Club); 34, George Orchart (Swansea University / Gwent Sword Club); 48, Chris Powell (Russell Swords); 53, Peter Idziaszczyk (Russell Swords); 63, Mike Kocan (Gwent Sword Club); 64, Jack Cafaro (Llantwit Major); 66, Hugh Kocan (Gwent Sword Club); 71, Chris Baker (Gwent Sword Club).

Men's epee: 29, Nick Lee (Cardiff); 34, James Harrington (Cardiff); 44, George Hawks worth (Cardiff); 46, Philip Connor (Cardiff); 73, Daniel Welsh (Cardiff); 89, Mathieu Krist (Cardiff); 92, Jack Cafaro (Llantwit Major); 99, Adrian Stoneman (Cardiff); 102, Alexander Morgan (Cardiff); 103, Cynan Williams (Cardiff); 108, James Tobin (Cardiff).

Women's foil: 28, Abi Difford (Cardiff University / Gwent Sword Club); 33, Erin Spinlove (Cardiff University); 38, Lyn Robinson (Gwent Sword Club); 45, Elinor Robinson (Cardiff); 52, Hannah Williams (Cardiff); 59, Rebeccah Williams (Cardiff).

Women's epee: 9, Erin Spinlove (Cardiff University); 34, Lucy Ridsdale (Cardiff); 40, Elinor Robinson (Cardiff); 52, Iona Pearson (Cardiff); 54, Beatrice Fannon (Cardiff); 72, Antonia Evans (Cardiff / Gwent Sword Club).

Women's sabre: 40, Megan Lillycrop (Shakespeare's Swords).

Welsh Open Novice Youth (South Wales fencers):

Boys' under-14: 1, Hugh Kocan (Gwent Sword Club); =3, Janck Cafaro (Llantwit Major); =3, Celyn Lewis (Russell Swords); 13, Alexander Harrison (Russell Swords).

Girls' under-14: 1, Molly Baker (Russell Swords); 3, Rhianna Golaup (Gwent Sword Club).

Boys' under-12: 1, Matthew Williams (Cardiff); =3, Daniel, Schoen (Russell Swords); =3, Iestyn Jones (Russell Swords).

Girls' under-12: 2, Megan Ware (Russell Swords).

Boys' Under-10: 1, Owain Carbis (Russell Swords); 2, Dewi Rees (Russell Swords); =3, Macsen Gravelle (Russell Swords); =3, Samuel Holloway (Russell Swords); 6, Urien Ware (Russell Swords); 7, Jacob Paynter (Russell Swords); 8, Oliver Howarth (Russell Swords).

Girls' Under-10: 1, Poppy James (Russell Swords); 2, Phoebe Dawe (Russell Swords); 3, Caitlin McDonald-Curry (Russell Swords); 5, Millie Stacey (Russell Swords).

Turner Cup

1, George Hawksworth (Cardiff); 2, Nick Hawksworth (Cardiff); =3, John Wiltshire (Whitchurch); =3, Mathieu Krist (Cardiff); 5, Adrian Stoneman (Cardiff); 6, Mike Kocan (Gwent Sword Club); 7, David Rees (Cardiff); 8, Richar Thomas (Gwent Sword Club); 9, James Tobin (Cardiff); 10, Hugh Kocan (Gwent Sword Club); 11, Jack Cafaro (Llantwit Major); 12, Mike Edwards (Howardian); 13, Joseph Brady (Cardiff); 14, Thomas Gibbins (Celtic Sword Club).

Kingston Cup

1, Catherine Fisher (Gwent Sword Club); 2, Elinor Robinson (Cardiff); =3, Lyn Robinson (Gwent Sword Club); =3, Catrin Eleri Smith (Celtic Sword Club); 5, Correana White (Cardiff).

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