By: Elizabeth Douglas – February 2, 2020
No matter what sport, the chance to watch your favourite athletes perform up-close is an opportunity most young athletes can only dream of. However, if you’re a BC fencer (or one willing to make the commute) you can do just that. The Vancouver Men’s Epee World Cup is a competition that has allowed aspiring fencers the chance to learn from some of the highest ranked men’s epeeists in the world.
For some BC fencers, this learning experience has shown great benefit in their own personal journeys. Christina Zozulya and Howard Zhao are two Dynamo Fencing Club athletes heading off to Ivy league universities in the US this fall. Zozulya will be attending Yale, while Zhao will be at Columbia University. Beyond their academic achievements, both of these promising young fencers have developed significant resumes of results.
This season, Zozulya secured a gold and silver medal in junior women’s epee across Nationals and the first Canada Cup in September, as well as a bronze medal and a 5th place result in the Senior division at these two events. In 2018, she won a Bronze medal at the Cadet European Circuit in Bratislava, Slovakia.
Zhao has also proved himself on home soil, with numerous championship medals and national titles. Even more impressively, in 2017 he won a gold medal in cadet men’s epee at the North American Cup in Anaheim, California.
The Vancouver World Cup has been instrumental in developing fencing style, skills and motivation of local athletes. Other fencers like Dylan French (Notre Dame, class of 2019) and Seraphim Jarov (UBC, class of 2023) have not only spectated, but competed in the Vancouver World Cup. In the future, we hope to see even more young fencers pursue their sport both on a nationwide and international scale through the inspiration of the Vancouver World Cup.
Tickets are $20 each, for general admission over all three days Feb 7-9, available at the door or can be reserved online. Each general admission includes up to 3 accompanying children or teens under 19.
2020 Schedule / Horaire
2020-02-07 – Individual / individuel
09:45 Opening Ceremonies / Cérémonies d’ouverture
10:00 Poules
2020-02-08 – Individual / individuel
10:00 Top 64 / Tableau de 64
14:00 Team table publication du tableau des équipes
15:40 Quarterfinal (top 8) / le quart de finale (tableau de 8)
17:00 Ceremony and semifinal / cérémonie et demi-finale
18:00 Ceremony and final / cérémonie et finale
2020-02-09 – Team / équipe
9:00 Top 32 / Tableau de 32
11:40 Quarterfinal (top 8) / le quart de finale (tableau de 8)
13:00 Semifinal and bronze medal match / demi-finale et match de médaille de bronze
15:30 Ceremony and final / cérémonie et finale