The first medals of the 2026 European Senior Fencing Championships have been awarded in Antony, France, following an exciting opening day that featured the Men's Épée and Women's Sabre individual competitions.
Simone Mencarelli Claims Men's Épée Title
Italy's Simone Mencarelli became the first European Champion of Antony 2026 after a superb performance in the Men's Épée competition. The Italian secured the biggest individual title of his career, capturing his first senior European crown.
Mencarelli claimed gold ahead of Israel's Alon Sarid, whose silver medal represents a remarkable achievement for the 20-year-old rising star. Denmark's Conrad Seibaek Kongstad, winner of the Fujairah Épée World Cup earlier this season, shared the bronze medal with Belgium's Neisser Loyola after both reached the semi-finals.
Lucia Martin-Portugues Triumphs in Women's Sabre
The Women's Sabre title went to Spain's Lucia Martin-Portugues, who produced an outstanding performance to secure the European crown. The result marks another major milestone in her career after winning bronze at the European Championships two years ago.
The final delivered one of the most dramatic moments of the opening day. Reigning World Champion Yana Egorian looked on course for victory after building a 10-6 lead, but Martin-Portugues mounted an impressive comeback to turn the bout around and claim the gold medal.
France's Toscane Tori delighted the home crowd with a bronze medal finish, while Ukraine's Alina Komashchuk completed the podium.
Full results, draws and upcoming bouts are available here:
https://www.fencingtimelive.com/tournaments/eventSchedule/4D384CEBC0574631B404BFA15B1F8C8B#today
The European Fencing Confederation congratulates all medal winners and wishes the best of luck to the athletes still competing for European titles in Antony.
