Fencing Absolutes, Foconi and Palumbo the title of foil

Francesca Palumbo and Alessio Foconi are the Italian champions of individual foil. It is double gold for the Air Force on the fifth day of the Absolutes 2023 in La Spezia. On the platforms of the PalaMariotti, in the women’s competition, Francesca Palumbo conquered a beautiful final, decided in the last jab, beating Martina Batini of the Centro Sportivo Carabinieri, silver, by 15-14. The Potenza Air Force player, seeded number 1 after the group stage, managed to win her first career title of Italian champion at the end of a thrilling match, which pitted two teammates from the national team, both climbed twice each on the podium in the World Cup. The bronze medals of Olga Rachele Calissi of the Rome Fencing Club, the only “civil society” on today’s podium, and of Martina Sinigalia of the Carabinieri Sports Center also shine.

Foconi shot

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The men’s foil title went to Alessio Foconi instead. The Terni from Terni of the Air Force won the national gold by imposing himself in the final, with a score of 15-8, over Filippo Macchi delle Fiamme Oro. Thus the trio of tricolors falls for the Umbrian airman, after the successes of 2013 and 2017. Third step of the podium for Edoardo Luperi, another bearer of the State Police, overtaken 15-13 in the derby at the Fiamme Oro house by Macchi, and for the very young Mattia De Cristofaro of Schermabrescia, born in 2006, stopped by Foconi (score 15-12) and on the podium in an Absolute Italian Championship still as a “cadet”. Foconi, as winner of the men’s title, was awarded the prize in memory of master Livio Di Rosa, one of the greatest exponents in the history of the master class. And on the day of celebration of the Air Force, applause and emotion also for the greeting of friends-comrades to Alessandro Paroli, appreciated by all as an athlete and for his humanity, who played his last competition as a foil player in La Spezia. Furthermore, on Sunday at the PalaMariotti, the flag was passed from La Spezia to Cagliari, the city that will host the 2024 edition of the Assoluti.

Plan

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Tomorrow the grand finale of the Italian Absolute Championships in La Spezia with the men’s and women’s foil team competitions that will assign the last two titles (of the twelve up for grabs) to the 2023 Tricolors.