🇫🇷 FRENCH FINESSE PREVAILS IN ATHENS WITH DRAMATIC TEAM GOLD
Updated: Aug 5
ATHENS, GREECE — 19 APRIL 2026
World number 1 France captured their second team title of the 2025–26 campaign, securing a brilliant victory at the rescheduled Athens Women’s Sabre World Cup. The top-seeded French unit—Sara Balzer, Manon Apithy, Sarah Noutcha and Toscane Tori—withstood a fierce challenge from the Republic of Korea to grind out a 45–42 triumph in a high-octane final.
The gold medal match was an exact repeat of the Salt Lake City World Cup final earlier this season and brings France’s impressive seasonal tally to three podiums from four events.
Korea took home a well-deserved silver medal to continue their exceptionally consistent season, whilst Japan secured the bronze. Home favourites Hungary completed their weekend just outside the medals in fourth place.
Path to the Podium
France (World number 1) eased through the early rounds before running into an incredibly stubborn Hungarian tactical barrier in the semi-finals. Despite France winning the opening leg, Hungary pinched a 15–14 advantage after three bouts and protected their lead through the middle legs to go up 30–29. The sides traded blow for blow over the next two bouts, leaving Hungary ahead 40–39 entering the final frame. Anchor star Balzer stepped onto the strip to save the match, out-fencing Luca Szucs 6–3 to snatch a dramatic 45–43 victory.
The final against Korea provided another stellar tactical roller coaster. Jeon Hayoung opened with an explosive 5–0 shutout against Apithy, driving Korea to a dominant 15–8 lead after three bouts. France launched their counter-attack in the middle tier, where spectacular 9-hit legs from both Apithy and Balzer catapulted the French into a 30–28 lead. After Kim Jeongmi pulled Korea back within one point, Apithy delivered a decisive 5–0 sweep over Choi Sebin, handing a 40–34 cushion to Balzer. Despite a valiant final assault from Seo Jiyeon, who outscored Balzer 8–5, France held on to seal the gold.
Korea (World number 2) earned their third podium finish of the campaign after navigating a tough lower bracket. In the semi-finals, the lineup of Jeon Hayoung, Kim Jeongmi, Seo Jiyeon and Choi Sebin absolutely dominated the opening stages against Japan, racing away to a 15–4 cushion after three legs. Japan mounted a fierce middle-bout response to cut the deficit, but the Korean trio of Choi, Seo and Jeon re-established their composure to comfortably close out a 45–37 win.
Japan (World number 3) bounced back from their semi-final defeat to lock down their second successive bronze medal in a heart-stopping play-off against Hungary. The Japanese unit of Ozaki Seri, Sano Yuo, Kaneko Yuina and Takahashi Chirika fell behind 15–8 early and trailed 30–25 after six legs. After Sano traded hits in leg seven, Ozaki completely turned the match on its head in the eighth leg, executing a jaw-dropping 10–2 blitz over Szucs to put Japan ahead 40–37. Individual gold medallist Sugár Katinka Battai dragged Hungary back to a 44–44 tie in the anchor leg, but Kaneko kept her nerve to secure the sudden-death final hit.
Hungary (World number 4) put together a phenomenal, fighting campaign to place fourth. The squad—featuring Anna Spiesz, individual bronze medallist Luca Szucs, individual gold medallist Sugár Katinka Battai and Liza Pusztai—engineered a superb 45–42 quarter-final victory to eliminate Tashkent champions AIN.
