Gregory gets a golden glow in Essex

Carl Difford, Welsh Fencing on 21/09/2012

The start of the new fencing season in Britain has already brought Welsh success in the first two big open competitions.

Pride of place goes to epeeist David Gregory, from Wrexham but now representing Chester Academy, who took gold on the opening weekend of the season in the Essex Open in Colchester.

Also making the top 16 in the same competition were London-based Gareth Thomas, who finished sixth, and Cardiff’s James Taylor, in 14th.

The action moved closer to home on September 15 and 16 with the Bristol Open, and here it was Thomas’ turn to medal, with a bronze in the men’s epee, Taylor again was not far behind in tenth.

The Welsh women also got in on the action in Bristol, with Wrexham teenager Stephanie Collister finishing just out of the medals in fifth place in the women’s foil and Cardiff University student Abi Difford in 15th, while Cardiff’s Megan Lillycrop finished tenth in the women’s sabre.

All these fencers – and several others who just missed the top 16 – will now switch their attention to the British Championships in Sheffield in October, with enhanced ranking points as well as national titles at stake, and then the Welsh Open in Cardiff in November.

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