🇮🇹 VETERAN BATINI CLAIMS WOMEN'S FOIL GOLD AT BUSAN WORLD CUP

BUSAN, KOREA - 6 DECEMBER 2025

Veteran Italian fencer Martina Batini, 36, delivered a spectacular performance at the second Women's Foil World Cup of the season in Busan, Korea, securing her first World Cup gold medal since 2014. The World Number 6 dominated the final against Japan's Ueno Yuka with a decisive 15-3 victory.

Ueno Yuka (JPN), 24, secured her second successive World Cup silver medal, adding to her podium finish in Palma. The 2025 Asian Champion had a strong run to the final, ultimately being outclassed by Batini in the gold-medal match.

The bronze medals were claimed by two Olympic medallists: Lauren Scruggs (USA) and Martina Favaretto (ITA). Paris 2024 Olympic silver medallist Scruggs (USA), 22, claimed her first individual senior World Cup medal. Favaretto (ITA), the winner of the first World Cup of the season in Palma, secured her fifth career World Cup bronze.

Path to the Podium

Batini's route to the gold was hard-fought until the final. She navigated two incredibly tight 15-14 bouts against Korean fencers in the early rounds before defeating Palma bronze medallist Eleanor Harvey (CAN) 15-11. Her semi-final was an all-Italian affair, where she overcame teammate Favaretto 15-10.

In the final, Batini put on a masterclass display of foil fencing, leaving Ueno with little room to score and closing out the victory with a commanding 15-3 scoreline.

In the other semi-final, Ueno defeated the USA's rising star, Scruggs, 15-11. Scruggs' strong run to the podium included an impressive 15-14 victory over reigning Olympic and World Champion, Lee Kiefer (USA). Favaretto secured her bronze by defeating Kikuchi (JPN) 15-7 in the quarter-finals before facing her teammate.

Full results from the Busan Women's Foil World Cup are available here.