Hampstead’s ZFW fencers produce champion displays at England Championships
ZFW youngsters celebrate - Credit: Archant
Hampstead’s ZFW Fencing Club had plenty to cheer at the England Youth Championships in Hatfield at the weekend.
ZFW's David Sosnov was crowned England under-11 champion - Credit: Archant
After a long day of action across all age categories, the young foilists came home with gold, silver and bronze medals to the delight of founder and head coach Ziemek Wojciechowski.
Supported by the former Polish Olympian and the club’s senior coaching team and their parents, the ZFW youngsters proved their mettle on the piste.
David Sosnov became England under-11 champion, after 60 boys sparred for gold, to follow in the footsteps of Alexander Lloyd, Matthew Abrahams and Lucas Choy.
Choy, meanwhile, used clever timing and quick thinking to battle through a field of 82 combatants to secure under-13 gold and Dylan Daniel, who has represented both the club and the country internationally, earned bronze among the under-15s.
ZFW's Amelie Tsang won silver at the England Youth Championships - Credit: Archant
The club’s female fencers also shone as the energetic Carolina Stutchbury maintained her focus late into Saturday evening to secure victory and under-13 gold, while Amelie Tsang fought her way to silver in the under-11s.
ZFW fielded nearly 20 fencers and dominated the upper tiers of the results tables, with Wojciechowski linking the results to a true competitive spirit, saying: “A competition like the EYC is a perfect place for ZFW’s warriors to further develop their talents.”
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Many of the club’s fencers had competed in the London Youth Games, representing boroughs in which they study or live, and Camden won gold in the junior events with a squad that included ZFW’s Dario Stenbeck-Schiavo and David Sosnov.
ZFW’s senior fencers have also been in action, with four-time Olympian and north London resident Richard Kruse, 33, finishing eighth at the European Championships in Georgia.
ZFW's Alexander Choupenitch (left) and Richard Kruse (right) at the European Championships in Tbilisi - Credit: Archant
Olympian James-Andrew Davis, came sixth and Alexander Choupenitch, who trains with the club and competes for the Czech Republic, was seventh.
Back on British soil, Matthew Abrahams, a year 12 student at Highgate School, won silver in the adult Chichester Open.
ZFW aims to boost the standard of fencing in Britain by providing a centre of excellence for elite fencers for Olympic, international and national teams. It operates from South Hampstead High School. See zfw-fencing.co.uk.
Matthew Abrahams won silver at the Chichester Open - Credit: Archant
