Fencing, Italian foil fencers are world champions

Italian foil returns to the roof of the world. On a practically perfect day, the fifth in the fencing world championships in Tbilisi, the quartet of Guillaume Bianchi, Filippo Macchi, Tommaso Marini and Alessio Foconi gave Italy its first title: a thrilling final, won on the last strike (43-43 over the USA) after a show-stopping ride for coach Simone Vanni's team, which took back the gold it had been missing since the 2022 World Championships in Cairo.

The foil fencers, after the winning debut against Croatia, on the Georgian piste overcame Singapore 45-20 in the round of 16 and, with the same grit, dominated the quarter-final against Poland, defeated 45-36. In the semifinals, another show of strength by the Azzurri, who were able to beat France 45-30, in the same challenge that a month ago had earned them gold at the European Championships in Genoa. This time the success sent Italy into the final against the United States. It was a thrilling match, opened by a super Bianchi who gave a 5-0 lead in the first bout: then Macchi got into trouble and suffered the comeback of the American Alexander Massialas, who put the USA ahead. The challenge went on with balance, with Italy once again in the lead: Bianchi again in the fifth bout brought the Azzurri back to 25-21, Marini stretched again and on the seventh bout Macchi increased the Azzurri's lead to +10. But then it is Marini himself (who came out in the round of 16 in the individual competition) who suffers (2-10 the partial with Itkin) and Italy feels the breath on the neck of the Stars and Stripes team again.

The Roman fencer, who will be 28 years old on 30 July, succeeded in the feat and went on to take the gold with just one hit ahead of the USA, which was in the match right to the end and was able to make up the 10-point disadvantage and move to within 1 point of Italy, which, however, with the slightest advantage, was back in the party.

One year after winning silver at the Paris Games. For Italian men's foil it is the 25th team gold at the World Championships. It had been missing since 2022 (same team for 3/4 but with Garozzo, now head of delegation instead of Macchi, on the piste). "The whole day seemed easy because the approach was spectacular, in the final we were facing experienced opponents who were studying us, we were very good at holding up: the team is compact, and trusting each other is very important," the words of Foconi, 35, from Rome.

Nothing to do instead for the Olympic champion epees who remain off the podium. Italy's coach Dario Chiadò (Rossella Fiamingo, Giulia Rizzi, Alberta Santuccio and Sara Maria Kowalczyk) failed to make the podium, beaten 37-31 by Korea in the final for third place. Stopping the Olympians' run to the medals was France, who in the semifinals, in a rematch of the last Olympic act, this time won 45-32, going on to win the rainbow title.