🇮🇹 ITALIAN ONE-TWO IN TURIN: BATINI TOPS PODIUM AT HOME GRAND PRIX
Updated: Aug 5
TURIN, ITALY — 7 FEBRUARY 2026
In a spectacular display of domestic dominance, Italy’s Martina Batini captured her second career Grand Prix title on home soil at the Turin Women's Foil Grand Prix. Batini, the reigning European bronze medallist, secured her first podium of the season by defeating teammate and fencing legend Arianna Errigo 15–13 in a fiercely contested final at the Inalpi Arena.
The silver medal for Errigo (ITA) marks a historic milestone, bringing her career total to a remarkable 25 Grand Prix foil medals. The podium was rounded out by a strong showing from Japan, with Azuma Sera and Kikuchi Komaki both claiming bronze medals. For Kikuchi, this marks her second podium of the campaign following her bronze at the Mallorca season opener.
Path to the Podium
Martina Batini (World number 6) was in imperious form throughout the day, conceding few touches in the early rounds. Her journey to the gold included a dominant 15–4 quarter-final victory over Ukraine’s Dariia Myroniuk and a controlled 15–8 win over Azuma Sera in the semi-finals. In the final, she maintained her composure against Errigo’s late charge to secure the 15–13 victory.
Arianna Errigo (World number 9) navigated a treacherous bracket to reach her 25th GP podium. Her day was highlighted by a significant round of 32 clash where she defeated her long-time teammate rival and two-time World Champion Alice Volpi 15–8. In the semi-finals, Errigo showed her trademark resilience, edging past Japan's Kikuchi Komaki 15–14 in a sudden-death thriller.
Azuma Sera (World number 20) emerged as a major threat after coming through the preliminary rounds with a perfect 6-0 record. Her path to a second career GP medal included a narrow 14–13 upset over World number 10 Pauline Ranvier (FRA) in the round of 32 and a disciplined 10–8 win over Italy's Martina Sinigalia in the quarter-finals.
Kikuchi Komaki (World number 7) reached the semi-finals by winning an all-Japanese quarter-final against Miyawaki Karin 15–12. Earlier in the day, she demonstrated consistent strength with a 15–10 win over Italy's Pantanetti and a 15–12 victory over China’s Zhang, before eventually falling by a single touch to Errigo.
