RTWFC turns the Regional Championships royal blue
A 22-strong RTWFC team put in a record performance for the club at the South East Regional Championships in Burgess Hill on 5th February, with 11 medals and 15 qualifiers for the British Youth Championships in Sheffield later this year.
Serial medallists Benedict Graham, Lloyd Osborne, Eilidh Paterson and Izzie D’Abbraccio once again strode proudly onto the podium, but another seven club-mates joined them as RTWFC’s team spirit proved to be both infectious and inspiring.
The U12 boys got the medal mayhem underway, with all three lions – Dean Gigg, James Dunmall and Roy Ching – making it onto the podium; silver-medallist Dean just missed out on gold by one agonising point.
Club big gun Benedict Graham also fell just one short of bagging gold in U18 boys final, losing to fellow GB fencer George Hills 15-14 in a high-quality final; GB team-mate Miles Raymond took bronze, having superbly knocked out GB cadet Oliver Barlow in the quarter-final. Lloyd Osborne, RTWFC’s other ‘GB boy’, took a hard-earned silver in the U16 boys event.
In the girls U16 category, the royal blue takeover of the podium continued, with Andrea Ross finishing 2nd, and Hannah Taylor and Annabelle Lavin sharing 3rd place. Team-mates Hiba Rochdi and Daisy Beadsworth, in 5th and 10th respectively, also qualified for the BYCs, making it five out of five for RTWFC in their age group.
The club’s superstar U14 girls got their feet on the podium too, Eilidh Paterson and Izzie D’Abbraccio securing silver and bronze respectively, having demonstrated their potential once again.
Seraphine Mathew (5th, U12 girls) and Alec Hargreaves (9th, U14 boys) also qualified for the BYCs, while unlucky Zach Bench (13th, U16 boys) missed out on qualification by one place for the second year in a row.
Gabriel Lam, Laurie Briggs, Sergey Khlemanov, and debutants Harry Gigg, Aubrey Cassleton Elliott and Joanna Szarowicz all scored victories, conducted themselves admirably and will come back stronger next time.
Commenting on the club’s success, chairman Martin Briggs said: “A few years ago we were barely on the map at the competitions but now we have a vibrant, competitive and friendly youth squad. Every time we go out we get closer and closer to the gold medal positions.”
Full results
(Q) = Qualified for BYCs
BOYS
U12 (9 entrants)
Dean Gigg (Q)
James Dunmall (Q)
Roy Ching (Q)
U14 (31)
9th Alec Hargreaves (Q)
19th Gabriel Lam
20th Laurie Briggs
29th Harry Gigg
U16 (29)
Lloyd Osborne (Q)
13th Zach Bench
23rd Sergey Khlemanov
28th Aubrey Cassleton Elliott
U18 (23)
Benedict Graham (Q)
Miles Raymond (Q)
GIRLS
U12 (7)
5th Seraphine Mathew (Q)
U14 (9)
Eilidh Paterson (Q)
Izzie D’Abbraccio (Q)
U16 (24)
Andrea Ross (Q)
Hannah Taylor (Q)
Anabelle Lavin (Q)
5th Hiba Rochdi (Q)
10th Daisy Beadsworth (Q)
U18 (21)
18th Joanna Szarowicz