Foil fencing, coach Cerioni: “I didn’t expect these results”

Five wins and eleven individual podiums, five team wins: who expected such an overwhelming start? Recalled after the Tokyo Games at the helm of the blue foil, 9 years after his farewell in the aftermath of the triumphal London Olympics, Stefano Cerioni has just archived a triumphal World Cup weekend: in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, men have monopolized the individual podium with the revived Alessio Foconi, the Olympic vice-champion Daniele Garozzo and the young talent Tommaso Marini, then the next day they left the crumbs to the opposing teams in the team competition; the women, in Tauberbischofsheim (Germany), after Erica Cipressa’s third place won the team tournament. Almost a resounding en plein, which follows precisely the successes and repeated podiums centered in the previous Cup races, as well as in the two main youth events, namely the Under 20 and Under 17 World and European Championships. The Japanese Olympics seemed a sector in difficulty – more mental than technical, actually – now it is on the ideal launching pad to take back the scepter and build the redemption in Paris 2024. In short, foil – the most successful weapon in Italian fencing – looks healthy again.

Cerioni, tell the truth: did you expect such a start to the season?

“In the beginning no, I didn’t dare so much. Or rather: I didn’t expect that it could be done so well in such a short time. But with hindsight, in light of the work done, I admit that the results obtained so far do not surprise me. now I’m starting to have fun. ”

What has changed in particular?

“I immediately told the boys to reset everything, to forget what had happened up to the day before, to think only of starting again. Mentally that had to be the first thing to do. After all, the past cannot be changed, if anything, you just have to he treasures mistakes and defeats. On the platform I asked them to change pace, to be more aggressive. That’s the key. ”

What satisfied you the most, regardless of the results?

“It was above all important to rediscover the team spirit in team competitions, even thinking about the Olympic qualification, and the response was almost immediate. The men, in particular, had to relaunch themselves and they did it immediately: the three victories out of four races are to demonstrate (in Plovdiv Italy left all the opposing teams more than 15 points away; ed.) “.

Other reasons for satisfaction?

“The fact that not the usual suspects, or in any case the most anticipated ones, got on the podium is an important detail, because it is the thermometer of the health of the sector. Even if the choices become more difficult, it is always better to have problems of abundance “.

The young talents Tommaso Marini and Marina Favaretto had a special magnifying glass …

“And they responded very well. Tommaso is now training him personally, he won the first World Cup race, he is bringing out all his potential, he is very well integrated into the group. Martina (who in turn has climbed for the first time on the podium; ed) is following the path I expected and is maturing well. But there are not only them “.

“Garozzo is a guarantee. Foconi is finally becoming more reactive: he has always suffered from the short assaults of team competitions, he struggled to fuel and he worried about this also towards his teammates, but now I see him much more on track. Alice Volpi he started very strong, with three victories in the first three games, but he can still improve, especially in continuity “.

“Arianna Errigo is returning. After Tokyo and yet another disappointment she needed to disconnect, to regenerate. I found her tried by a difficult period, even the mental energies spent in the saber affair had their weight. She had lost confidence, but she is finding her again. Now Arianna is also training her directly, with Luca (her husband and former Azzurri Simoncelli; ed) who then follows her to Frascati: we are doing a good job, I am sure that the good times will be back “.

The World Cup and the European Youth Championships have given away a lot of medals …

“I confess that I was surprised. At first the level of our under 20s seemed a bit low, but I must say that it is much better than I thought. There is very interesting material to work on in the future, I was wrong “.

This is a particular season, it will be used to do some rehearsals. Then, however, in March 2023 the Olympic qualification will start and there will not be many opportunities for the experiments: have you given yourself a deadline?

“Only the Cup match in South Korea is missing (from 13 to 15 May, ed), so I’ll make my choices for Europeans (in Antalya, from 17 to 22 June; ed) and for the World Cup (in Cairo, from 15 to 23 July; ed). Nobody is cut out regardless. And even in terms of the Olympic Games I have no barriers to throwing young people into the fray, but it is clear that they have to give me important answers “.