Team GB is one of the most successful nations at the Olympic Games, consistently winning medals across various sports, particularly those offering multiple medal opportunities. However, historically and in recent times, fencing and judo have not been among them. Six young fencers, however, are determined to change that, and their performances suggest a bright future ahead (2/2).
Ranked third in the all-time Olympic medal table, and very likely to move up to second after the Los Angeles Games, Great Britain has never truly excelled in fencing, winning just nine Olympic medals in its history—only one of them gold, claimed by Gillian Sheen in the women’s foil event at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. The most recent medal dates back to the Tokyo 1964 Games. However, this drought may soon come to an end in 2028, thanks to six young fencers who, despite their youth, are already competing at the highest level. In the previous article (The Six Young British Fencers Looking to End the Country’s Olympic Drought (1/2), we introduced the first three fencers. Now, let’s continue!
David Sosnov
His father was an international fencer for the Soviet Union. Today, at just 18 years old, David is ranked as the world’s top junior foil fencer. Earlier this year, he made headlines with a standout performance in Saudi Arabia. On the opening day of the Junior World Championships, David Sosnov impressed by securing the silver medal in the men’s junior foil event. In the final, he lost 15-11 to Japan’s Ryosuke Fukuda after an intense semifinal victory against France’s Eliot Chagnon, which he won 15-12.
“I am extremely proud of myself and my performance over such a long day. None of this would have been possible without the incredible support of my coach Ziemek, my family, my teammates, and the team on site. Hopefully, next year the medal will be a different color!”
His coach, Ziemek Wojciechowski, praised his achievement:
“David’s silver medal once again proves the extent of his talent and shows that his development is heading in the right direction, the result of many years of hard work. The future of British fencing is bright with talents like him.”
David reached the quarter-finals alongside his teammate Jaimie Cook, who finished seventh out of 181 competitors in the foil event. This silver medal adds to the team silver he won two years earlier at the European Championships. More recently, at just 18 years old, he competed at the senior European Championships, where he made it to the round of 16 before narrowly losing 15-13.
Amelie Tsang
At just 16 years old, Amelie Tsang won the cadet women’s individual foil world title at the 2023 World Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Ranked eighth among 83 participants, she won five of her six pool bouts, entering the direct elimination stage as the ninth seed.
She then defeated Australia’s O’Neil (15-3), Poland’s Jakubowska (15-12), Greece’s Garyfallou (15-9), and Israel’s Kuritzky (15-9) to reach the semi-finals. There, she secured a thrilling 15-14 win over Hong Kong’s Wong Shun Yat before triumphing in the final against Italy’s Greta Collini with a commanding 15-11 victory.
After her win, Amelie said:
“I’m speechless. This title gives me a huge confidence boost for the junior season. Thank you to my coach Pete, my family, and my friends.”
Her coach, Peter Barwell, added:
“This is a tremendous achievement for Amelie and for British fencing. Her dedication and hard work have paid off!”
Already a multiple medallist in European junior competitions, her triumph in Bulgaria has positioned her as a serious contender for an Olympic title at the Los Angeles Games, potentially ending Great Britain’s 64-year Olympic fencing medal drought.
Carolina Stutchbury
Carolina Stutchbury showed promise from an early age, winning the British U10 national championship. Her success continued through her teenage years with victories at the British cadet and junior championships, as well as a bronze medal at the Cadet European Championships, boosting her confidence.
Her rigorous training regime includes strength conditioning and multiple weekly sparring sessions under the guidance of Dmitri Romankov, a coach who has worked with Olympic medallists like Alexander Choupenitch and Eleanor Harvey. Stutchbury had the chance to meet Harvey, an experience that deeply motivated her:
“She congratulated me after tournaments, which really inspired me.”
She admires fencers like Inna Deriglazova and Martyna Walczyk for their finesse and tenacity. Meanwhile, her schedule at OHS allows her to balance studies and competitions with flexible hours.
Having recently transitioned to the senior level, she has experienced the gap between categories:
“I didn’t really believe in myself at the senior level until this season,” she admitted.
Now ranked 7th in the junior world rankings and 32nd among seniors at just 19, she delivered an impressive performance at the 2024 European Championships. She decisively defeated Martina Batini, a multiple-time world medallist and Olympic team medallist, with a dominant 15-3 victory, before overcoming France’s Eva Lacheray 15-8. Her run ended in the semi-finals against Italy’s Arianna Errigo—four-time Olympic medallist and current world No. 4—by the narrowest of margins, 15-14.
For one of her first senior competitions, she secured a remarkable bronze medal, hinting at a very promising future.
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