2014 Junior and Cadet World Championships Preview

Plovdiv, Bulgaria hosts the 2014 Cadet and Junior World Championships

The Cadet and Junior Fencing World Championships provide the perfect platform for young athletes from across the globe. Teams and fans will be treated to 10 days filled with top fencing among the senior circuit’s next generation. This year’s cadet events also serve as qualifier for the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China, in August 2014.

The 2014 Cadet and Junior World Championships return to the historic city of Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Plovdiv hosed the Senior European Championships in 2009 and the Cadet and Junior World Championsihps in 2004. The city again prepares for fencing as 1283 young fencers are expected to come.

While Italy remains a fencing power across all of the age divisions, there is great diversity represented at the Cadet and Junior World Championships. Last year, in Plovdiv, fencers from 23 nations earned medals. During the cadet championships no country came home with more than 1 gold medal. In Cadet competition Italy led the medal count with 4 total medals and 1 gold. The USA placed 2nd with 3 total medals, 1 gold.

In 2013 the top countries for the Junior World Championships were Italy, Russia, and the United States. Italy led the way with 4 golds and 11 medals overall. Russia claimed 3 golds and 7 medals overall while the USA claimed 2 golds, 4 silver and 2 bronze for 8 total medals. In the Junior competition golds were spread among 6 countries (Italy, Russia, USA, Ukraine, China, and Germany.)

A quick preview of the Junior World Championships (via the FIE):

EPEE
The world ranking in women’s epee is led by the two Italian fencers Roberta Marzani and Alberta Santuccio. Marzani placed second at the European Junior Championships 2014 and is very well in shape. She is
closely followed by Daria Martynyuk (RUS), Paula Schmidl (AUT) and last years’ bronze medallist Katrina Lehis (EST) who will certainly want to have a say when it comes to medals.

In men’s epee, last year’s silver medal winner Yulen Pereira is dominating the ranking by far. He was second again at the European Junior Championships 2014, only defeated by Yuval Shalom Freilich (ISR) who
is now second in the world ranking. We will see if these two young talents will also be on the top of the medal list this time.

FOIL
Camilla Mancini is for the third time in a row at the top of the world ranking in women’s foil. She won the title last year in the individuals and with the team and anything but another gold medal would probably be
a disappointment for her. However, her team mates Francesca Palumbo, Erica Cipressa and Pauline Ranvier as well as Junior European Champion 2014 Svetlana Tripapina (RUS) will be strong contenders.

The world ranking in men’s foil is led by Francesco Ingargiola (ITA) and Alexander Choupenitch (CZE). Both are already very experienced with championships and Choupenitch took the title at the European Junior
Championships. However, the level in men’s foil is usually very high and the gold medallist will have to be physically and mentally in top shape.

SABRE
Tatiana Sukhova (RUS) and Paola Pliego (MEX) lead the world ranking in women’s sabre are among the top favourites for the title. Among others, they will be challenged by Sage Palmedo (USA), Hungary’s hopeful
Ana Marton who won the title at the European Junior Championships in Jerusalem in 2014.

Luca Curatoli (ITA), Eli Dershwitz (USA), and Francesco D’Armiento (ITA) dominate the world rankings in men’s sabre. Curatoli and Dershwitz just won the titles at the junior zone championships and are in top shape.
They are among the top favorites for the gold.

Competition Schedule:

April 3rd, 2014:

Cadet Women’s Foil – Prelims
Cadet Men’s Sabre – Prelims

April 4th, 2014:

Cadet Women’s Foil – Top 32 to Finals
Cadet Men’s Sabre – Top 32 to Finals
Cadet Women’s Epee – Prelims
Cadet Men’s Epee – Prelims

April 5th, 2014:

Cadet Women’s Epee – Top 32 to Finals
Cadet Men’s Epee – Top 32 to Finals
Cadet Men’s Foil – Prelims
Cadet Women’s Sabre – Prelims

April 6th, 2014:

Cadet Men’s Foil – Top 32 to Finals
Cadet Women’s Sabre – Top 32 to Finals
Junior Women’s Foil – Prelims
Junior Men’s Sabre – Prelims

April 7th, 2014:

Junior Women’s Foil – Top 32 to Finals
Junior Men’s Sabre – Top 32 to Finals
Junior Women’s Epee – Prelims
Junior Men’s Epee – Prelims

April 8th, 2014:

Junior Women’s Epee – Top 32 to Finals
Junior Men’s Epee – Top 32 to Finals
Junior  Men’s Foil – Prelims
Junior Women’s Sabre – Prelims

April 9th, 2014:

Junior Men’s Foil – Top 32 to Finals
Junior  Women’s Sabre – Top 32 to Finals

Junior Team Events:

April 9th, 2014:

Junior Women’s Foil Team – Top 32
Junior Men’s Sabre Team – Top 32

April 10th, 2014:

Junior Women’s Foil Team – Top 16 to Finals
Junior Men’s Sabre Team – Top 16 to Finals
Junior Women’s Epee Team – Top 32
Junior Men’s Epee Team – Top 32

April 11th, 2014:

Junior Women’s Epee Team – Top 16 to Finals
Junior Men’s Epee Team – Top 16 to Finals
Junior Women’s Sabre Team – Top 32
Junior Men’s Foil Team – Top 32

April 12th, 2014:

Junior Women’s Sabre Team – Top 16 to Finals
Junior Men’s Foil Team – Top 16 to Finals

Official Site: http://www.wchplovdiv2014.com/