Ukrainian Women’s Foil Team Became Vice-Champion, Wins Historic Silver at Fencing World Cup in Tunisia
For the first time in history, the Ukrainian foil team won silver at the World Cup in Tunisia, showing its best result, the National Fencing Federation of Ukraine reports.
Japan faced Ukraine in the women's team foil final. The fight for gold hung in the balance: the final between Japan and Ukraine was a real thriller, with exciting exchanges in epic battles, with the Japanese winning with a score of 24-22. In the semi-finals, Ukraine defeated France 41-39, and Japan defeated Korea 45-27. The bronze medal went to Korea against France, 37-36.
At the end of last season, Ukrainian foilists reached the team podium of the World Cup for the first time with bronze medals in Hong Kong. Since then, the Ukrainian team has not changed. Already in the new season, the main four of the national team have been formed: Alina Poloziuk, Olga Sopit, Kateryna Budenko and Daria Myroniuk. They improved the national record already at the first stage of the competition year.
Having missed the opening round as the ninth seed, Ukraine played its first match against Hungary, winning 45:38. Olga Sopit won all three matches against the Hungarians.
To reach the semi-finals, the Ukrainians defeated the world ranking leaders from Italy with a tight 45:43 victory. The Ukrainians stayed in the lead for most of the match, with the biggest gap recorded in the fight between Alina Poloziuk and Elena Tangerlini - 11:3.
Ukraine defeated the fourth top team in the world, France, thanks to a dramatic comeback. Before the final two bouts, the French women were leading 34:26, but victories by Sopit and Poloziuk with a combined score of 15:5 brought the Ukrainian team to its first-ever final.
Only Japan, which included two bronze medallists of the 2024 Olympic team tournament, Sera Azuma and Yuka Ueno, managed to stop the Ukrainian four in the final. Ukraine was represented by the trio of Sopit, Poloziuk and Kateryna Budenko.
The Japanese started with two wins, and went into the last bout - between Ueno and Poloziuk - with a five-point lead (22:17). The Ukrainians managed to reduce the gap to two points on their way to a historic silver medal - 22:24.