Race Imboden and Alice Volpi have both taken gold at the FIE Foil Grand Prix in Turin, Italy, one of the blue-ribbon events of the season.
The win takes Imboden to number one in the men’s world rankings, swapping places with Italian Alessio Foconio, whom he defeated 15-13 in an enthralling semifinal. The victory is Imboden’s first individual gold outside of regional championships since is win at the Anaheim Grand Prix in March, 2018, and means the USA now holds the number one ranking in both the team and individual men’s foil in disciplines.
Next to him on the podium was his countryman Gerek Meinhardt, who took bronze after going down to Imboden’s opponent in the final, Honk Kong’s Ka Long Cheung, 15-12 in their semi. It was the second time Meinhardt has made the podium in international competition this year, after his silver at the World Cup in Paris last month.
21-year-old Cheung’s ranking has also risen to a career-high 8th after the result, which was his first medal at a Grand Prix event. In the final, a red-hot Imboden proved too good, however, and Cheung couldn’t avoid a 15-6 defeat.
In the women’s event, another high-class field took to the strip, with hometown hero and world number 2 Alice Volpi defeating countrywoman and legend of the sport Francesca Di Francisca, 15-9 in the final. Making it an Italian 1-2-3 was Francesa Palumba, who claimed her second straight bronze, having won the same colour medal in St. Maur, France, last month.
While Di Francesca was too good for Palumbo in their semifinal, (15-7), the younger Italian pulled off a giant-killing act against reigning world number one and Olympic champion, Inna Deriglazova of Russia, out-touching her 15-5 in the table of 8. The fifth-placing was the first time outside of last years disappointing World Championships in China that Deriglazova hasn’t been on the podium in international competition since the same event in Turin two years ago.
Volpi had earlier defeated 5th ranked German Leonie Ebert in their quarterfinal, 15-8, before taking out Russia’s Anastasiia Ivanova (15-12) to make it to the final against Di Francesca. The result was one better than the World Cup silver she won last month in St. Maur, coming up against Deriglazova in the final.
Full Results
Women’s Foil
1. Alice Volpi (Gold, ITA)
2. Elisa di Francisca (Silver, ITA)
3. Anastasiia Ivanov (Bronze, RUS)
3. Francesca Palumbo (Bronze, ITA)
5. Inna Deiglazova (RUS)
6. Leonie Ebert (GER)
7. Camilla Mancini (ITA)
8. Larisa Korobeynikova (RUS)
Full Women’s Results on FIE.org
Men’s Foil
1. Race Imboden (Gold, USA)
2. Ka Long Cheung (Silver, HKG)
3. Alessio Foconi (Bronze, ITA)
3. Gerek Meinhardt (Bronze, USA)
5. Alexey Cheremisnov (RUS)
6. Timur Safin (RUS)
7. Alexander Massialas (USA)
8. Giorgio Avola (ITA)
Full Men’s Results on FIE.org