The team competitions got underway on Friday at the 2026 European Senior Fencing Championships in Antony, delivering dramatic battles, emotional victories and the first team titles of the week.
Italy Continues Its Épée Dominance
Italy claimed the Men's Épée team title after defeating hosts France in the gold medal match. The Italian quartet of Davide Di Veroli, Matteo Galassi, Simone Mencarelli and Andrea Santarelli once again demonstrated the depth that has made Italy one of the world's leading épée nations.
For Simone Mencarelli, the victory completed a remarkable championship double. After winning the individual Men's Épée title earlier in the week, he now leaves Antony as a two-time European champion, having played a key role in Italy's team success as well.
France took silver in front of the home crowd through Alexandre Bardenet, Paul Fortin, Aymerick Gally and Kendrick Jean-Joseph, while Ukraine secured the bronze medal thanks to Ievgen Makiienko, Nikita Koshman, Mykhailo Krasniuk and Roman Svichkar.
AIN Prevails After Thrilling Women's Sabre Final
The Women's Sabre competition produced one of the most dramatic team finals of the championships so far.
The AIN team of Yana Egorian, Alina Mikhailova, Aleksandra Mikhailova and Anastasiya Shorokhova appeared to be in control for much of the match and built a significant advantage. However, France mounted an impressive comeback in front of a passionate home crowd, gradually reducing the gap and setting up a tense finish.
At one stage, the score stood at just 40-38, with the momentum seemingly swinging towards the hosts. Despite the pressure, the AIN team managed to hold on and secure victory, claiming the European title after one of the most exciting finals of Antony 2026.
France's Sara Balzer, Manon Apithy, Toscane Tori and Sarah Noutcha had to settle for silver after their courageous fightback.
The bronze medal went to Italy, whose young and promising team of Michela Battiston, Claudia Rotili, Manuela Spica and Mariella Viale produced an excellent performance to defeat a strong Hungarian squad in the medal match. For a team built around emerging talent, the result is another encouraging sign for the future of Italian women's sabre.
Today's results and updated draws can be found 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 teams still competing for European titles.
