The U23 European Circuit in Sofia brought together some of Europe’s most promising young fencers on 9–10 May, with strong performances from both Italian and Bulgarian athletes across the épée and sabre events.
In the men’s épée competition, Italy celebrated a dominant result as Marco Ferraris claimed gold after defeating Spain’s Joan Ferrus Garcia in the final. Italy also secured both bronze medals thanks to Stefano Santangelo and Dario Benetti, completing an impressive podium presence for the Italian team.
The women’s épée title went to Sophie Peat of Great Britain, who delivered a confident performance throughout the day. Austria’s Gloria-Dahlia Legac finished with silver, while Bulgaria celebrated two bronze medals through Mihaela Stefanova and Alexandra Suchkova in front of the home crowd.
Bulgarian fencers also stood out in the sabre events. In the men’s competition, Todor Stoychev captured gold after overcoming Italy’s Nicola Raggi in the final. Bulgaria added two more medals with Nikola Meitsov and Simeon Dalekov both finishing in third place.
The women’s sabre event turned into a complete Bulgarian sweep. Emma Neikova secured the victory ahead of Beloslava Ivanova, while Vasilena Krasteva and Viktoria Vitliemova shared bronze, underlining the depth of Bulgarian sabre at U23 level.
The competition in Sofia once again highlighted the importance of the U23 Circuit as a stepping stone towards senior international fencing, giving young athletes valuable experience on the European stage.
Results are available on Fencing Time Live.
