Budapest (AFP)
The men's French épée and women's foil teams mastered their first laps to qualify for the quarter-finals of the World Championships in Budapest on Sunday.
The finalists, protected by their place of N.1 world, had only one match to play against Singapore in 8th, and easily scored 45 keys to 19, with in their rank the vice-world championship 2019 , Pauline Ranvier, and 2018, Ysaora Thibus.
For a place in the last four, they will shoot against Poland on Monday morning.
The swordsmen have mastered Canada (45-35) in the round of 32, led by 2018 world champion Yannick Borel and with the return of Daniel Jerent, absent from the tracks for more than 12 months due to three "no shows" ( breaches of geolocation requirements for doping controls).
In the 8th, they took their revenge to beat the Estonians (45-39), who had eliminated a month earlier at the same stage at the European Championships. They will face South Korea, N.3 world, for a place in the semifinals.
"These are the sensations I've missed for a year, I'm in my element, that's what I like to do," commented Jerent, after his first onslaught on Canada, acknowledging "some strange ideas" " in the morning. "But I knew how to free myself on the track, it's essential".
These World Championships are extremely important for Olympic Games qualification, as the points for the ranking are doubled.
The world's top four nations in the period April 2019-April 2020, as well as each of the best nations in a continent beyond this world top 4 qualify for the Olympics 2020.
A team qualification is synonymous with three places for individual events.
Countries that have failed to qualify for the team event may send a maximum of one shooter, a world ranking or a qualifying tournament.
© 2019 AFP