KRUSE TAKES SILVER AT WORLD CHAMPS
PRESS RELEASE: ZFW FENCER RICHARD KRUSE TAKES SILVER MEDAL AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS; FIRST GB WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MEDAL SINCE 1965
Date: July 30, 2018 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Elite athletes face many hurdles in securing victory. North London fencer Richard Kruse triumphed on his way to the podium at the World Championships in Wuxi, China on July 24, claiming a coveted silver medal in senior men’s foil.With Wix Blog, you’re not only sharing your voice with the world, you can also grow an active online community. That’s why the Wix blog comes with a built-in members area - so that readers can easily sign easily up to become members of your blog.
“I'm delighted to finally be able to say that I am a world championship medallist,” said Kruse, 34, who trains with world-class coach Ziemek Wojciechowski at North London fencing club ZFW. “I have been able to get to this level before in the world cups but have never been able to produce that performance in the World Champs. It's a relief to have finally done it,” Kruse said.
Kruse secured the silver medal after losing in the finals match by a score of 15-8 to 28-year-old Italian Alessio Foconi. It was Great Britain’s first World Championship medal since Bill Hoskyns won silver in men’s epee in 1965.
In his run to the finals piste, Kruse defeated GB teammate and ZFW clubmate James-Andrew Davis in the quarterfinals. Kruse then went on in the semi-finals to beat Carlos Llavador, of Spain, by a score 15-11.
Leading into the World Championships, Kruse was ranked fourth in the world. An experienced competitor, he has represented Great Britain at the summer Olympics on four consecutive occasions, and at the world and European championship level numerous times.
Coach Wojciechowski put the success down to Kruse’s dedication to the sport over many years. “To succeed at this level takes a decade of hard work from an unshakable, motivated and talented fencer, working collaboratively with a coach and being exposed to the challenges of decision-making while on piste in a highly competitive environment,” said ZFW founder Wojciechowski. “This requires years of dedication, including participation in international training camps and competitions, and it means having the support available to sustain such efforts.”
Kruse said financial support has been one of his biggest obstacles to training at the elite level. British Fencing lost its funding from UK Sport after the 2016 Rio Olympics, making it difficult for fencers to prepare for and to compete at the highest levels. “There were a few months of uncertainty,” said Kruse, who acknowledged private sponsorship, along with the support of British Fencing, the sport’s governing body.
Kruse said in a post-match interview that he was pleased to have broken GB’s medals curse, and also said he hoped his silver medal success would inspire the next generation of British fencers.
ZFW is run by Olympic Coach Ziemek Wojciechowski with a team of dedicated experts. The club aims to boost the standard of fencing in Britain by providing a centre of excellence for elite fencers training for Olympic, international and national teams. It also provides a learning programme with an emphasis on youngsters. ZFW operates from various venues in North London and elsewhere around the capital. For further details, please visit https://www.zfw-fencing.co.uk
Comentarios