🇮🇹 UNBEATEN ITALY DOMINATES IN ISTANBUL TO LOCK DOWN SEASON FOIL TITLE
Updated: Aug 6
ISTANBUL, TÜRKIYE — MAY 3, 2026
World number 1 Italy capped off a flawlessly dominant season by capturing the gold medal at the Istanbul Women’s Foil World Cup. The powerhouse quartet—featuring individual gold medallist Favaretto Martina, individual silver medallist Arianna Errigo, Martina Batini and Anna Cristino—remained entirely unbeaten across the 2025–26 team circuit, solidifying their reputation as one of the most clinical squads in the sport's modern history.
In the final, the Italians turned a highly anticipated matchup into a masterclass, cruising past a surprise Spain squad 45–27.
The silver medal marked an emotional and historic breakthrough for the Spanish program, representing their first top-four finish and maiden podium of the campaign. Japan out-fought Korea to capture the bronze medal, while the Koreans had to settle for a frustrating fourth place.
Path to the Podium
Italy (World number 1) put together a thoroughly clinical display throughout the bracket, dispatching Romania and China with minimal effort. In the semi-finals, they faced a stern test from world number 4 Japan; after holding a razor-thin 26–25 lead through the middle legs, the Italians pulled away in the final third to win 45–39.
In the gold medal contest, despite Spain's MarĂa Mariño upsetting Errigo in the opening bout, Italy asserted complete control. Subbing in individual champion Favaretto Martina to spearhead the attack, the top seeds transformed a 30–19 advantage into a massive 45–27 blowout.
Spain (World number 6) engineered the fairytale run of the tournament. The lineup of MarĂa DĂaz, Ariadna Castro, MarĂa Mariño and Ariadna Tucker worked in perfect unison to edge past the Neutral Athletes (AIN) 42–40 in the quarter-finals. They followed up with a dramatic, high-wire semi-final victory over Korea. Trailing late after holding an early 15–8 lead, the Spanish fencers withstood a furious 22-hit onslaught from the Koreans in the final two legs to cross the finish line with a 45–43 victory.
Japan (World number 4) locked down their second team bronze of the season with a disciplined performance in the third-place play-off. The unit of Azuma Sera, Takeyama Yuzuha, Tsuji Sumire and Ueno Yuka broke open a tense, deadlocked 10–10 encounter against South Korea. Tsuji, Azuma, and Ueno systematically out-fought their opponents in the middle legs to build a 26–16 cushion, pressing their advantage until the final buzzer to claim a 39–24 win.
Korea (World number 15) fell agonisingly short of a medal but still authored the bracket's biggest shock. In the round of 16, the Korean team stunned world number 2 and season heavyweights United States 44–40, before grinding out a brilliant 42–41 victory over world number 7 Hungary in the quarter-finals.
