Tough day at the office for Aussies in Hong Kong
Seven Australian fencers were in action on the second day of the Senior World Championships in Hong Kong, with Men’s Epee and Women’s Sabre part of a busy day-two schedule.
In the Men’s Epee, both Jacob and Lachlan Crook managed to get out of the pools – Lachlan advancing with a 3-3 record and Lachlan also getting through registering a 2-4 pools result.
Lachlan was forced into a T256 match where he faced up against Brazilian Richard Grunhauser where he came out on top 15-14 in a tight affair. He then moved into a Table of 128 match-up against Pole and seventh seed Jan Socha who was just too good on the day – Crook giving his all but going down 15-8.
Lachlan’s brother Jacob fared better in the DE’s having earned a bye straight through the T128 before taking on Venezuelan Gabriel Lugo. With scores ties at 13-13 at the end of the third period, Jacob held his nerve to get the winning touch and advance 14-13 in front of a vocal Australian support crew.
Estonian and 18th seeded Sten Priinits was all that was separating Crook and day two T64 action, and it was looking promising with scores locked at 6-6 towards the end of the second period. But Priinits proved just too strong and ran away with the match 7-15, and giving Crook a respectable 92nd.
In the Pools both Darcy McLelland and Isaac Hayes worked hard but things did just not fall their way. McLelland finished his pool 1-5 going down in two of his bouts 4-5. Hayes finished with a 0-6 result.
In Women’s Sabre we had three athletes competing, with Lorraine Tang, Isobel McRobert and Kayla Tin all looking to make progress out past the pool stage.
Tang fared the best out of our three athletes winning an early bout against Venezuela’s Patricia Contreras before going down to Anna Bashta of Azerbaijan 4-5. Tang finished her pool with a 1-5 record to miss out on DE’s by just a few spots.
Both McRobert and Tin were unable to notch a win in the pools but both tried their hearts out. McRobert was close in a number of her bouts getting within touching distance of a win on three occasions, while Tin battled aa knee injury to compete gallantly and get some great experience at the level.
WHAT THEY SAID:
MEN’S EPEE:
Jacob Crook
“Being my first Senior World Champs I wasn’t too sure what to expect but it was quite an experience.
“It felt very different to a World Cup or Grand Prix and I liked it. Everyone is so cut-throat it’s do or die all the time.
“Unfortunately today is where my competition ends but I am keen to get around for Teams and then do it all again next season and have a good crack.”
Lachlan Crook
“I got through early, snuck through the pools but didn’t quite get over the line – there’s not much to it other than that. I lacked a bit of oomph in the end, but onwards to the next one.
I got through the early DE- it was a lucky escape towards the end, but a win’s a win. I’m looking forward to Teams next week – Teams is the best part!”
Darcy McLelland
“It was not my best day, to be honest, but it’s all part of the process to get where you want to be. So it will be a good opportunity to go back, work on my mental performance and then start again next season and try again.
“It is my first World Championship and has been a pretty good experience. It is good to be amongst the best, But we’ll be looking for more next season, definitely.
“I love representing Australia – especially representing your home country. It’s such a privilege and it is always good to put on the colours!”
Isaac Hayes
“I’m frustrated – I don’t know because there is not much else to say about it than that.
“My preparation wasn’t very good leading into it the day and I felt like I wasn’t fit enough and then I was just fighting a bit of an uphill battle the whole day.
“There were some close ones, some critical moments but it didn’t come out right, and then, it was kind of just bad from there.”
WOMEN’S SABRE:
Lorraine Tang
“My day was pretty good – in my first bout I felt pretty confident, and I knew the other bouts were going to be pretty hard, but I think I went really well in them and did exactly what my coaches wanted me to do.
“But it’s just unfortunate for the one that I lost 5-4 in, because I felt good in that bout, and then I got a little bit messy as soon as I got to the fourth point. So it’s a little unfortunate with that one, because I feel like that one was definitely winnable.
“But it’s a learning moment now. And we learn, and we move past it, and we do better for next time.”
Isobel McRobert
“Today’s fencing did not go the way I wanted but it was a good learning opportunity.
“Getting the opportunity to fence on a world stage at my first Senior World Championships was a memory I will never forget and while the scores and my fencing where not what I wanted at the end of the day, it just leaves room for improvement.”
Kayla Tin
“Today didn’t go as planned because of my knee injury, but stepping onto the stage for my first World Championship is something I will never forget.
“While the outcome wasn’t what I expected, it’s been fun and meeting world level fencers was so cool and eye opening .
“Representing Australia is such an honour, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity. It is a dream come true. Thank you so much to everyone who supported and cheered for me today.”
To view the results from the event click here: https://shorturl.at/xoezQ
To view the broadcast of the event head to https://fencingtv.com/