USA Fencing

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – Team USA medaled in every event at the Budapest Cadet European Cup this past weekend, winning a total of six medals, including two golds.

Nicholas Kim (New York, N.Y. / Top Fencing Club) started out the weekend by taking the title in the individual men’s event while two USA teams took gold and silver in the women’s team event. On Sunday, the United States added three more medals to its medal haul as Emily Jing (West Roxbury, Mass. / Marx Fencing Academy) and Ryanne Leslie (Philadelphia, Pa. / V Fencing Club) earned silver and bronze in the women’s individual event and Team USA won bronze in the men’s team event.

2021 Budapest Cadet European Cup Results

Competing at just his second Cadet European Cup, Kim cinched the gold by going 5-1 in pools and 8-0 in the direct elimination rounds.

After cruising past Ada Budak (TUR), in the table of 256, 15-1, Kim faced three teammates, defeating Conrad Lo (Burlingame, Calif. / Massialas Foundation), 15-5; Spencer Burke (El Cajon, Calif. / Elite International Fencers Club); and Dayaal Singh (Basking Ridge, N.J. / Gutkovskiy Fencing Academy), 15-11.

In the table of 16, Kim overcame Federico Greganti (ITA), 15-12, before securing a medal by controlling his quarterfinal about against teammate Mitchell Huth (Raleigh, N.C. / Apex Fencing Academy), 15-5.

Kim’s closest bout came in the semifinals against Dmitrii Chashchin (RUS) with Kim coming out on top, 15-13. Fencing for gold, Kim’s momentum continued as he secured the gold, 15-9, over Pavel Puzankov (RUS), and moved up to first place in the USA Fencing Rolling Point Standings.

The next day in the men’s team event, Roy Graham (Springfield, Va. / Fencing Sports Academy), Caleb Jeon (Los Altos, Calif. / Silicon Valley Fencing Center) – who earned a top-eight finish in the individual event – Luao Yang (Bloomfield, Mich. / Renaissance Fencing Club) and Renzo Fukuda (San Francisco, Calif. / Massialas Foundation) won bronze competing as USA 4.

The United States didn’t drop a bout in the table of 64, besting Poland 4, 45-24, with Jeon, Graham and Yang all tallying a +7 indicator. In the following round, Team USA faced a 10-8 deficit to Italy 4 after two rounds, but the Americans won or tied the next six bouts to win, 45-36.

In the table of 16, the United States jumped out to a 20-7 lead against Poland and won or tied all nine bouts to advance to the quarterfinals, 45-30.

Fencing Hungary, Team USA earned a comeback victory, 45-41. Down 20-13 going into the fifth, Graham, who was +11 on the match, won the fifth, 12-4, to give the United States a one-point lead. Up 33-32 with two bouts remaining, Hungary won the eighth, 8-4, to take a 40-37 lead into the anchor bout, but Jeon could not be stopped, winning, 8-1, to secure the victory.

Once again playing from behind, USA 4 lost its first three bouts of the semifinals and although the squad closed the gap to two at the end of the fifth and seventh, Russia 3 held on, 45-43.

With a medal on the line, the Americans came out strong against Italy, taking a 20-12 lead after four bouts. Only dropping one bout the entire match, Team USA clinched the bronze, 45-32.

Two USA squads took the top two steps of the podium as USA 1 won gold and USA 3 claimed silver.

Competing for USA 1 was Leslie, Mikayla Chusid (Franklin Lakes, N.J. / Gutkovskiy Fencing Academy), Chin-Yi Kong (San Mateo, Calif. / Golden State Fencing Academy) and Ivy Zheng (Lexington, Mass. / Marx Fencing Academy) while Rachael Kim (Tenafly, N.J. / Top Fencing Club), Brianna Lee (Cupertino, Calif. / Silicon Valley Fencing Center), Erin Oh (Oakland, Calif. / Silicon Valley Fencing Center) and Ellen Wang (Lexington, Mass. / Moe Fencing Club) represented USA 3.

In its opening match in the 32, USA 1 didn’t drop a bout, blazing past Moldova, 45-18. Leslie led all members of Team USA +10 indicator. The next round saw the United States win every bout with all three members tallying an indicator of +9 or better to best Poland, 45-14.

In the quarterfinals, USA 1 faced USA 4, which was composed of Jia Chen (Franklin Lakes, N.J. / V Fencing Club), Emma Griffin (Sugar Land, Texas) and Victoria Pevzner (South Orange, N.J. / V Fencing Club). USA 4 took a 19-15 lead after four rounds, but USA 1 won the next two to take the lead, 30-28. USA 4 closed the gap to one going into the final two bouts, but Chusid, who was +8 on the match, won the eighth, 8-4, and the teams went even in the ninth to give USA 1 a 45-40 win and a place in the medal rounds.

Behind Chusid’s +11 effort in the semifinals against Turkey, Team USA won eight of the nine bouts and advanced to the gold medal match, 45-20.

Facing more familiar faces in USA 3, USA 1 outtouched its teammates, 45-44, for gold. USA 3 took an early 10-7 lead, but Zheng, who went +7 on the match, took control in the third and gave USA 1 a 15-14 lead. Lee and Kim won the fourth and fifth to give the lead back to USA 3, 25-20. Down four going into the seventh, Zheng continued her momentum, winning, 6-1, to give USA 1 the one-point lead, and the two teams went even in the final two bouts to give Team USA 1 the gold. Kim led USA 3 with a +5 indictor.

USA 3 started its day by dominating Greece 1, 45-12, taking every bout. Lee and Kim led the way with +12 and +11 indicators, respectively. In the table of 32, Team USA used a strong start – winning the first six bouts – to defeat Germany, 45-23.

The squad’s table of 16 bout came down to a two-point difference, 45-43. The United States built a 15-6 lead after the first three bouts, but Russia 1 won the next two to take a 20-18 lead. Kim won the sixth, 12-6, and Oh subbed in to win the seventh, 5-1, to regain the momentum, 35-27, and although Russia won the final two bouts, USA 3 held on.

To reach the medal rounds, USA 3 also had to face another USA squad in USA 2, which was composed of Arianna Cao (San Jose, Calif. / Massialas Foundation), Brianna Ho (Denville, N.J. / V Fencing Club), Katerina Lung (Lexington, Mass. / Moe Fencing Club) and Sophia Shen (Lexington, Mass. / Star Fencing Academy), who finished sixth in the individual event. USA 3 took a lead early by taking the first six bouts, 30-16, and despite USA 2 winning or tied the final three bouts, the deficit was too much and USA 3 won, 45-39. Oh led USA 3 with a +8 indicator.

Similar to the quarters, USA 3 got off to a strong start in the semifinals against Great Britain 1, building a 20-11 lead, which the team would sustain to reach the final, 45-36.

In the women’s individual event, Jing and Leslie won their first individual medals internationally with silver and bronze.

Jing, who won bronze in cadet at the October North American Cup, swept her table of 128 opponent, Sofiia Shmidt (UKR), 15-0, before edging out 2021 Cadet World Team member Aila Mamedova (RUS), 12-10.

After cruising past 2020 Cadet European Championship bronze medalist Carolina Stutchbury (GBR), 15-4, Jing bested Liliana Golovina (RUS), 15-10.

To advance to the final, the 14-year-old would need two clutch victories as she outtouched 2021 Junior World Team member Sabrina Fang (CAN) and Leslie, 15-14.

In the final, Matilde Molinari (ITA) won her second straight Cadet European Cup gold, defeating Jing, 15-10.

Leslie, who won bronze in cadet at the Junior Olympic Championships this past summer, bested Iulia Popescu (ROU), 15-2; Julia Graczyk (POL), 15-10; and Gili Kuritzky (ISR), 15-5; to reach the table of 32, where she edged out her teammate, Ho, 15-14.

Following a 15-10 victory over Junior World Championship team bronze medalist Kristina Petrova (UKR), Leslie overcame teammate Bridgette Ouyang (West Roxbury, Mass. / Star Fencing Academy) to set up the semifinal against Jing.

With their podium finishes, Leslie and Jing moved up to No. 2 and 3 in the Rolling Point Standings.

Top eight and U.S. results are as follows:

Budapest Men’s Individual Foil Cadet European Cup
1. Nicholas Kim (New York, N.Y. / Top Fencing Club)
2. Pavel Puzankov (RUS)
3. Dmitrii Chashchin (RUS)
3. Valerii Kornilov (RUS)
5. Andrew Chen (Lexington, Ky. / Bluegrass Fencers’ Club)
6. Caleb Jeon (Los Altos, Calif. / Silicon Valley Fencing Center)
7. Mitchell Huth (Raleigh, N.C. / Apex Fencing Academy)
8. Lorenzo Raggi (ITA)

9. Allen Chen (Lexington, Ky. / Bluegrass Fencers’ Club)
11. Ethan Um (Concord, Mass. / Marx Fencing Academy)
22. Luao Yang (Bloomfield, Mich. / Renaissance Fencing Club)
24. Dayaal Singh (Basking Ridge, N.J. / Gutkovskiy Fencing Academy)
25. Renzo Fukuda (San Francisco, Calif. / Massialas Foundation)
35. Castor Kao (Needham, Mass. / Star Fencing Academy)
37. Spencer Burke (El Cajon, Calif. / Elite International Fencers Club)
39. Jeidus Deseranno (Grosse Pointe Shores, Mich. / Renaissance Fencing Club)
42. Elijah Onik (Glen Rock, N.J.  Gutkovskiy Fencing Academy)
45. Dylan Hooshi (Old Westbury, N.Y. / East Coast Fencing Club)
65. Liam Bas (Fair Lawn, N.J. / Gutkovskiy Fencing Academy)
66. Aidan Lee ( Vienna, Va. / AIC Fencing Club)
67. Julian Goor (Piedmont, Calif. / Massialas Foundation)
81. Raphael Li (Pal Alto, Calif. / Massialas Foundation)
81. Conrad Lo (Burlingame, Calif. / Massialas Foundation)
84. Roy Graham (Springfield, Va. / Fencing Sports Academy)

Budapest Women’s Team Foil Cadet European Cup
1. USA 1
2. USA 3
3. Great Britain 1
4. Turkey
5. Ukraine
6. Israel 1
7. USA 2
7. USA 4

42. USA 5

Budapest Women’s Individual Foil Cadet European Cup
1. Matilde Molinari (ITA)
2. Emily Jing (West Roxbury, Mass. / Marx Fencing Academy)
3. Beatrice Pia Maria Bibite (ITA)
3. Ryanne Leslie (Philadelphia, Pa. / V Fencing Club)
5. Bridgette Ouyang (West Roxbury, Mass. / Star Fencing Academy)
6. Sophia Shen (Lexington, Mass. / Star Fencing Academy)
7. Sabrina Fang (CAN)
8. Alicia Audibert (FRA)

16. Ellen Wang (Lexington, Mass. / Moe Fencing Club)
17. Chin-Yi Kong (San Mateo, Calif. / Golden State Fencing Academy)
18. Rachael Kim (Tenafly, N.J. / Top Fencing Club)
22. Brianna Ho (Denville, N.J. / V Fencing Club)
24. Katerina Lung (Lexington, Mass. / Moe Fencing Club)
27. Brianna Lee (Cupertino, Calif. / Silicon Valley Fencing Center)
36. Victoria Pevzner (South Orange, N.J. / V Fencing Club)
37. Erin Oh (Oakland, Calif. / Silicon Valley Fencing Center)
51. Alina Zhang (Scarsdale, N.Y. / Tim Morehouse Fencing Club)
55. Katherine Kim (Tustin, Calif. / Golubitsky Fencing Center)
56. Emma Griffin (Sugar Land, Texas)
65. Ivy Zheng (Lexington, Mass. / Marx Fencing Academy)
77. Jia Chen (Franklin Lakes, N.J. / V Fencing Club)
81. Arianna Cao (San Jose, Calif. / Massialas Foundation)
101. Mikayla Chusid (Franklin Lakes, N.J. / Gutkovskiy Fencing Academyo

Budapest Men’s Team Foil Cadet European Cup

1. Russia 1
2. Russia 3
3. USA 4
4. Italy
5. Hungary
6. Russia 2
7. USA 1
8. USA 3

13. USA 2
16. USA 5