- Title: GAMES-EUROPE/FENCING Olympic fencing champions fail to make the cut in Baku
- Date: 23rd June 2015
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) GOLD MEDALLIST IN FENCING FOR WOMEN'S INDIVIDUAL EPEE, ROMANIA, ANA MARIA BRANZA, SAYING: "My friends and my team mates, everyone, told to me 'go for gold! Go for gold!' Ok, now you were right, all of you! Thank you so much. (LAUGHS) I was thinking to get a medal, of course, because I think that (I must be) on the podium in every competition. That is
- Embargoed: 8th July 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Azerbaijan
- Country: Azerbaijan
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA9O6JFXSRX42SUTB1W4EYS2Q0I
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The first bout of fencing events at the European Games took place on Tuesday (June 23) in the Azeri capital, Baku.
Ukraine and Romania proved victorious by grabbing the first two gold medals on offer in the women's individual epee event, but some Olympic champions failed to impress with Germany's Britta Heidemann failing to make it through in the first knockout round.
The 32-year old German who has suffered an injury to her Achilles tendon lost to Russia's Tatyana Andryushina.
Ukraine's Olympic champion Yana Shemyakina was also defeated in the early stages of the competition, playing against Erika Kirpu.
Romania's Ana Maria Branza won gold medal after triumphing against Russia's Yana Zvereva 15-11.
"My friends and my team mates, everyone, told to me 'go for gold! Go for gold!' Ok, now you were right, all of you! Thank you so much," the 30-year-old gold medallist told Reuters.
"I was thinking to get a medal, of course, because I think that (I must be) on the podium in every competition. That is why I am a professional athlete, that is my job, to go on the podium. But, I was scared because there were so many big names here from the epee world."
Asked about other high profile fencers being knocked out early in the event, Branza said some may have been tired and others could be concentrating on other games over Baku.
"I don't know, we had the European championship last week in Montreux (Switzerland), for the World championship in Moscow, which will take place in I think three weeks. So, everybody has a plan. But this was my day and I don't care about the rest. Sorry for that girls," said Branza.
Zvereva laid claim to the silver medal, while Romania's Simona Gherman and Estonia's Erika Kirpu won the bronze medals.
Ukraine's Andriy Yagodka triumphed to a gold medal in the men's individual sabre event for fencing on Tuesday, beating Romania's Tiberiu Dolniceanu 15-10.
The 26-year old claimed victory two rounds into the fencing event.
Yagodka told Reuters he had felt nervous ahead of the match.
"I was worried, not because this is the first day but because the level of the competitions here is so high, I wanted to show a worthy result here," he said.
The Ukrainian champion said he was dismayed that not all top fencers had taken part in the European Games, but added he hoped his gold would boost his reputation.
"You know, not all of them, unfortunately some (of the best) did not come here, but either way this is an offering, a serious offering and I now hope that they will fear me!" he joked.
Italy's Alberto Pellegrini and Luigi Miracco won the bronze medals. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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