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Elgin Duellist Fencing Club welcome worldwide nationalities to Highland Open competition at Elgin High School





Moray hosted a major fencing competition with competitors from as far afield as USA and China taking part.

Elgin Duellist Fencing Club hosted the Highland Open fencing tournament at Elgin High School, the most northerly event in the sport in the UK to be nationally ranked.

Quarter-finals action in the men’s foil, Maxim Pitarbarg versus Lachlan Grant.
Quarter-finals action in the men’s foil, Maxim Pitarbarg versus Lachlan Grant.

A tournament record of 150 fencers from 32 clubs, included a new high of 18 from the home club. Ages ranked from 13 to 72, with many making a brave step to compete in the men’s and women’s epee, sabre and foil categories and to fight against ex-Olympian, Commonwealth and national pentathlon champions.

“As always the standard of competition was very high but this year’s tournament, more than any other over the previous years, seems to have reflected the increasing global popularity for the sport,” said Elgin Duellist Fencing Club head coach Robin Paterson.

“When I entered my first Highland Open Tournament in 1983, the entries were almost entirely Scottish with a handful of fencers from England, Ireland and Wales.

“This year’s Highland Open was very much an international affair, with Russian, Polish, Chinese, Indian and American nationalities entering mainly through the universities they are studying at in the UK.”

“We are now beginning to see the impact of individual nation state strategies to grow the sport here in the north of Scotland. For example, I counted 11 fencers entering the tournament with a recorded Chinese nationality and this may well be an early result of China’s ambition to have over half a million of its population taking part in fencing in the next 10 to 20 years. These are very much welcome and exciting developments for our sport.”

Charlie Furness-Smith prepares to attack in the men’s sabre.
Charlie Furness-Smith prepares to attack in the men’s sabre.

Paterson said international fencers featured strongly in the medal positions over the two days.

On the Saturday, USA national and Stirling University Sports Studies student, Tristen Bell (Forth Valley Fencing Club) beat off a strong comeback from ex-veteran Scottish epee champion Alasdair Baker (unaffiliated) to win his first men’s epee open title 15-14.

The men’s epee category also saw the Elgin club’s best result over the two days of the tournament with 16-year-old junior club champion and Cults Academy pupil Edwin Naughton missing a bronze medal by just one hit at the last 8 stage.

Other notable Elgin Duellist results in the men’s epee category included Elgin Academy 15-year-old Andrew Paterson in seventh, Buckie High 16-year-old Cameron Hay in 43rd place, Keith-based 17-year-old Jake Grant (51st), Buckie High’s Martin Laidlaw (44th), 54-year-old Jon Goulding in 45th place and 14-year-old Forres Academy pupil Owen Lewis in 49th.

The women’s epee final was very much a Braveheart Fencing Club affair with Ying Ki Lee demonstrating her dominance by beating fellow club member Laura Jamieson (15-8).

Chloe Campbell takes on Ao Feng in the women’s foil final.
Chloe Campbell takes on Ao Feng in the women’s foil final.

In the men’s sabre, it was once again a club affair with last year’s bronze medallist Jack Geddes winning gold over fellow Salle Ossian club mate Callum Kettles (15-12). For the Elgin club, Buckie High pupil Michael Hay, 13, came 25th and Gordonstoun’s Charlie Furness-Smith came in 27th.

Elgin Duellist Fencing Club’s oldest competitor, 72-year-old Michael Hawkins finished in a very respectable 30th position.

In the women’s sabre final, 2022 Fencing Commonwealth bronze medallist Lucy Higham (Salle Ossian), returned north to compete once again in the Highland Open and beat club mate Sophia Milne 15-11.

On the Sunday, the men’s foil final was between Gleb Iakovlev of Edinburgh University Fencing Club and Lachlan Grant from St Andrews University Fencing Club.

Iakovlev who hails from the Russian city of Ulyanovsk on the banks of the Volga, known as the birthplace of Lenin, struggled to find the answers to the American Grant’s blistering attacks and lost 15-4.

Gleb Iakovlev against Lachlan Grant in the men’s foil final at Elgin.
Gleb Iakovlev against Lachlan Grant in the men’s foil final at Elgin.

Grant’s triumph is perhaps no surprise when you realise that his curriculum vitae includes training at the world renowned Massialas Foundation in San Francisco and being a student of renowned ex-British Olympic coach Ziemek Wojciechowski.

Elgin Duellist Fencing Club had its biggest entry in the men’s foil. The two best results were Forres 22-year-old Casper Hawkins who finished 13th after being knocked out by the eventual winner and 15-year-old Elgin Academy pupil Reuben Stewart who lost by one point in his last-32 direct elimination fight to finish 18th overall.

Jake Grant was 28th while Elgin Academy pupils Keir Forsyth (38th), Luca Fowles (43rd), Joshua Toonen (33rd), Andrew Paterson (27th) and Mark Milne (22nd) featured well as did Forres Academy’s Owen Lewis in 20th and Jon Goulding in 34th.

In the women’s foil final, Chloe Campbell (Forth Valley Fencing Club) was the only fencer to retain her gold medal from the previous year when she beat Ao Feng (Edinburgh University Fencing Club) 15-5.

Paterson added: “For our Elgin Duellist club members, this may be the only time that they have an opportunity to compete against some of the top-ranking fencers in Scotland and further afield.

“With the nearest fencing tournaments usually held in the central belt of Scotland, we are delighted that so many of our club members competed and did so well.

“This is the highest proportion of Elgin Duellists that we have ever managed to get beyond the first direct elimination stage. We look forward to doing even better next year.”



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