Team GB win bronze at the European Junior Championships

The day started with a match against Germany, where we had a slow start but managed to regain momentum. The match reached a nail-biting 44-44, but Amelie secured the final point for the win. Despite having beaten Germany comfortably three times this season, they surprised us with their energy and a different team order.

Next, we faced Hungary in the top eight—a team we had never beaten before. In previous seasons, they had always stopped us, but this time, we dominated from the start and never looked back, securing a spot in the top four.

In the semifinals, we faced France, who were simply a level above us, and we couldn’t quite match them. That led us to the bronze medal match against Poland. The last time we faced them in Naples, we lost, but this time, it was a back-and-forth battle to the very last second. Amelie held a 43-41 lead, and as the final seconds ticked away, she was hit, making it 43-42. However, her last touch landed exactly as time expired, securing a thrilling one-point victory.

After finishing fourth in the past two years, breaking through to claim the bronze was an incredible achievement. Two of the girls even earned their first junior medals, making it an unforgettable moment for the team!

The Junior women’s foil team said - “Third times a charm! We have worked so hard for three years, and in the last two euro champs we have come away with 4th place. This time, we had no intention of leaving without a medal. We had a shaky start, but once we found our rhythm we knocked out a top Hungarian team. Beating them for the first time this season. Sadly France were a little strong this time but we clinched bronze by one hit to make history. We are so elated with our bronze and want to thank our team coach Ben, our physio Ollie and our Chef Pat without their support we couldn’t have done it without them. We are looking forward to using this confidence at next month’s world champs.”