Golden opening for Italian Women at Junior World Championships

Francesca Tognetti and Gloria Tocchi won the women’s relay competition at Junior World Championships in Drzonków. Second place was taken by French team while bronze went to Koreans.

Women's Team Relay Final results

Fencing was won by Italians Gloria Tocchi and Francesca Tognetti who claimed 20 wins on pistes. With two victories less second place was taken by Belarussians Marharyta Maseikava and Tatsiana Rahachova. In third position two teams who won 17 bouts were classified – Adele Stern and Marie Oteiza of France and Angelina Marochkina and Ekaterina Makarova of Russia.

The fastest team at the swimming pool were Russians – with the time of 2:03,24 they were 1,11 secs faster than British duo of Joanna Muir and Alice Fitton and 3,38 secs faster than Italians. Tocchi and Tognetti kept their lead in the overall classification with Russians and Belarussians behind them.

In riding none of the teams achieved the maximum result of 300 points. The closest to that was the Korean pair of Sehee Kim (pictured, left) and Sunwoo Kim, who exceeded the time limit by 8 seconds. Italians increased their lead over the rest of the stake while duos from France and Korea went up to second and third place respectively after poor rides of Russians and Belorussians.

To the combined event Tognetti started 26 seconds before Oteiza and 28 before Sunwoo Kim. Such an advantage let the Italian finish her leg in first place and Gloria Tocchi kept the difference and crossed the finish line first, straight into the arms of her teammate. The organisation of the competition was very well so I’m happy because we are doing always better so the competition has gone well. Congratulations for the organisation. – with these words Tocchi complimented the event in Drzonków.

For the second place teams of France and Korea were fighting. At the first two running loops the Asians had an advantage and Oteiza had to fight for third place with Huo of China. After the exchange however the situation changed – Sehee Kim lost the advantage and the second place coming third to the finish line after Stern.