More medals for Swiss fencers

Gianna Hablützel-Bürki, Tabea Steffen, Diana Romagnoli and Sophie Lamon (from left to right) Keystone

The world fencing championships in Nîmes will go down as the most successful in Swiss fencing history with the women's team fetching another silver medal.

The four Swiss women have taken the silver medal in the épée tournament after losing to Russia in the final.

After emphatic wins over South Korea and Italy on their way to the final, Gianna Hablützel-Bürki, Diana Romagnoli, Sophie Lamon and substitute player Tabea Steffen were already assured of at least a silver medal in the tournament.

However, the Russian team with Maria Mazina, Tatjana Logunowa, Anna Sikowa and substitute Tatjana Fachrutdinowa were able to stop the Swiss team’s winning streak with 45-35, the same score as in the Olympic Games in Sydney last year.

The individual bronze-medallist Hablützel-Bürki surprisingly finished her bouts with an eight-point deficit and 16-year-old Sophie Lamon, who previously finished every duel with a lead, also left the match with a deficit.

By scoring two points, Romagnoli was the only fencer in her team, who did not finish with a deficit against the Russians.

Simply better

“The Russians are simply better, that’s for sure,” Swiss coach Rolf Kalich said after the final round.

Gianna Hablützel-Bürki agreed with her coach. “They are tactically and technically better than we are. Maybe we should try a different set-up next time,” the 31-year-old mother from Basel said.

This is the third medal for the Swiss women’s fencing team within 16 months and the second world championship medal since the team won bronze in the first women’s tournament in Denver in 1989.

So far the Swiss delegation has won three medals in Nîmes, with Hablützel -Bürki getting bronze in the épée event on Saturday and Basil Hoffmann achieving an unexpected silver medal in the men’s singles on Monday.

swissinfo with agencies