ZFW Cadet Battles to Podium at European Championships

DATE: FEB 28, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ZFW fencer Carolina Stutchbury put in a podium performance fighting for Great Britain at the European Cadet Championships in Porec, Croatia, dominating her opponents on piste with calm demeanour and clear thinking to an achieve an amazing bronze-medal finish.

Carolina Stutchbury, (far right) sports her bronze medal with coach Dmitri Romankov (far left), British Fencing coach Chris Galesloot and team manager Shelley Robinson.

Stutchbury, aged 14, was ranked 21st after the initial seeding round at the Championships. She then fought her way through foilists from Portugal, Russia and Germany to secure her place in the semi-finals. The Cadet (under the age of 17) entry at the European Championships featured nearly 100 young women from 32 nations.

Stutchbury took bronze after losing by a score of 15-12, in the semi-finals to Matilde Calvanese of Italy, who was the top seed throughout the day and went on to win the gold medal.

“It was a long day and I had to fight in every bout. It was exhausting,” said Stutchbury, who has been affiliated with fencing in Britain for about six years. Stutchbury, who currently lives in the United States, is a multiple winner in the England Youth Championships, which are held annually in Hatfield, Hertfordshire.

“Before each bout, I had to warm up and this was a great time to think about how I should have fenced in the previous fight and what I would do better in the next one,” she said.

ZFW Fencing Club head coach Ziemek Wojciechowski was delighted with the win. “This is a fantastic finish for Carolina and is the result of a suitable temperament for competitive sport and her solid foundations in this discipline,” Wojciechowski said. Stutchbury is a member of North London’s ZFW Fencing Club and is also a member of Epic Fencing in Atlanta, Georgia, where she trains with coach Dmitri Romankov.

“This is a credit to Dmitri, who works with her in the United States. We are very proud that Carolina started with ZFW and works with our coaches when she is in the United Kingdom,” Wojciechowski said.

ZFW fencer Amelie Tsang was also part of GBR’s four-member Cadet Euros squad and finished the day in 37th place. Clubmate Dario Stenbeck-Schiavo helped form the British Cadet men’s foil squad; he ended the championships in 41st place.

Amelie Tsang with her bronze bling after two gruelling days of competition in Paris

In the run-up to the European Championships, ZFW’s young fencers brought home bling from other competitions on the continent. Amelie Tsang, aged 13, battled her way to a bronze medal while clubmate David Sosnov, also 13, came home with a 4th place medal in Paris and Cadet fencer Joe Donaghue put in a podium performance in Warsaw, Poland.

Tsang styled an impressive performance over two gruelling days of competition at the aptly named Challenge CEP Marathon Foil in Paris. Ranked second after two initial seeding rounds among 149 fencers from 23 nations, she overcame all takers in a performance that saw her bring home the bronze. “I managed to pick myself up for a bruising fight for bronze,” said Tsang, winning by a dramatic score of 10-9.

On the EFC Cadet Circuit in Warsaw, Donaghue nabbed his bronze after a day of consistent fencing through multiple victories. He marked up five wins after the initial seeding rounds to reach the semi-finals, settling for bronze after a 15-9 defeat to Polish fencer Jakub Kotek.

The medal haul came as ZFW’s fencers populated Great Britain’s Cadet (under 17) and Junior (under 20) squads at the European Championships. Likewise, the club’s fencers feature large in Britain’s squads for the upcoming World Championships, which are set for March and April in Salt Lake City, Utah. The World Championships will see Stutchbury and Tsang back in action in the Cadet category. In the Junior category, clubmates Yasmin Campbell, Cameron Evans, Matthew Abrahams and have also qualified for the World Championships.

ATTACHED PHOTOS:

1) Carolina Stutchbury, (far right) sports her bronze medal with coach Dmitri Romankov (far left), British Fencing coach Chris Galesloot and team manager Shelley Robinson.

Photo Credit: Joanna Stutchbury

2) Amelie Tsang with her bronze bling after two gruelling days of competition in Paris.

Photo Credit: ZFW Fencing Club

ZFW is run by Olympic Coach Ziemek Wojciechowski with a team of dedicated experts. The club aims to boost the standard of fencing in Britain by providing a centre of excellence for elite fencers training for Olympic, international and national teams. It also provides a learning programme with an emphasis on youngsters. ZFW operates from various venues in North London and elsewhere around the capital. For further details, please visit https://www.zfw-fencing.co.uk