The Boulazac Fencing Club in the top 15 in Alsace

In Alsace, Adélina Ferreira was competing individually in National 2. Sixteenth at the end of the group stage, with four wins against two losses, she went through two rounds in the afternoon (15-10 and 15-14) before falling 13-15 in the 8th final against a local, after having led the race until 13-13. Hence a nice 14th place finish in the competition and a season finished in 3rd place regionally and 88th nationally, having put fencing on the back burner to focus on her medical studies.

The next day, Clémence Bonnet was injured, so she teamed up with Elycia Chastanet and Amaia Baraton, the U15s, who were doubly upgraded for the occasion. Since the latter two had no reference in the U20s, Boulazac, despite being regional champions, started against the best teams. Against Vanves, the CEB led 37-35 before the final relay, which Amaia concluded for a 45-40 victory.

Then, against Dax, one of the competition favorites, led by Ambre Mourceau (trained at the CEB and ranked twelfth nationally), Boulazac started well but Landaises took the lead. The start of a back-and-forth: 27-25 for Boulazacoises then 36-38 before the final relay between Baraton and Mourceau, four years her senior. The U15 was three touches away with a minute to go but Boulazac ultimately lost 38-45. Hence a good fifteenth place finish.

Veterans face off in Périgueux

Meanwhile, in Périgueux, two pairs of CEB veterans (Alexandre Auguste and Brice Chatry, Guillaume Sourzat and Jordi Villas) were participating in the Châteaux et du Patrimoine tournament, which brought together 36 players in the magnificent grounds of the Bertrand-de-Born high school. Fourth and fifth in the group stage, the Boulazacois found themselves facing each other in the quarter-finals. Sourzat and Ville won before losing in the semi-finals, finishing third overall.

This Friday, Raphael Hoareau Berkani will be competing at the Monal Challenge, the senior epee World Cup in France, in Saint-Maur. He will compete against some of the world's top 300 epee fencers selected by their respective federations. The U13s will be in Angoulême for the regional individual and team championships.