RTWFC’s young fencers have made a strong start to the 2023-24 season, winning medals and securing British selections
Following a fantastic 2022-23 season, which was capped by four fencers being selected to represent Britain on the European cadet circuit on numerous occasions, a silver at the British Youth Championships, a bronze at the England Youth Championships, and a slew of medals in the Elite Epee and LPJS, the team has picked up where it left off.
In the first domestic cadet (U17) ranking competition of the season, both Eilidh Paterson and Lloyd Osborne reached the quarter-finals, and backed that up with similarly strong performances in the second event. These two performance were more than enough to secure Eilidh and Lloyd to selection for the British U17 team travelling to Budapest in October. Fellow RTWFC cadet Andrea Ross only just missed out on selection, whilst Annabelle Lavin, Izzie D’Abbraccio and Zach Bench all rocketed up the rankings.
Following a week-long summer training camp at the famous Vasas Fencing Club in Budapest, which is home to the current men’s world epee champion (pictured, above, with the team), our 12-strong squad is ready for the continuation of the domestic ranking quest at the Cadet & Junior National Championships in Nottingham on 16-17th September.
Two of the squad – Izzie D’Abbraccio and Daisy Beadsworth – travelled to the Elite Epee Junior Series in Moulton on 9th September to tune up for the Nationals, and both came home with bronzes. Team-mate Timofey Yakovlev went one better at the same event, finishing second in the U10 boys comp.
All in all, Team RTWFC is in better shape than ever to build on its flying start and go from strength to strength this season.