Original: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/d9uemqpyxsDKd3k.html&ab_channel=FIEFencingChannel
Interesting point - both Foconi and Imboden were unable to qualify for the Individual Foil Fencing Event at the Rio Olympic Games (in the case of Foconi, he did not qualify for Team either). Could be a large motivator for them since both of them (especially Foconi) became the most dominant fencers - along with Kruse who came 4th individually at the Rio Olympic Games - in the 2016 to 2021 Olympic Cycle. Meinhardt only became dominant towards the end, Massialas, Garozzo, and Safin all dropped off a bit in 2018 (but Massialas and Garozzo were able to recover by 2019)
On the Right, Alessio FOCONI of Italy. Foconi is the most dominant fencer of the 2016 to 2021 Olympic Cycle. He is the 2018 Wuxi Individual World Champion, and the reigning World Number 1. Especially in 2019, when Foconi medalled in almost every individual event of that season.
On the Left, Race IMBODEN of USA. Since the end of the Season of 2017-18, Imboden has changed coach again. This time from Sergei Golubitsky to Stefano Cerioni.* I speculate that the change to Golubitsky had been to focus more on the lefty v lefty match-ups and active defence options, however, while this has worked, the new en guard position under Golubitsky also brought out new problems. In the seasons with Golubitsky, Imboden tended to drop his arm immediately off the en guard line, the higher en guard position has also made Race's marches less successful. Under Cerioni, it seems that Cerioni wanted Imboden to focus on marching again, which has led to a lower en guard position, like 2015 Race. Imboden has also tilted his hand to a thumb at 1 O'clock position - common for some Italian fencers like Cassara, Avola, Foconi, and Garozzo, (11 O'clock for right-handers) - likely to focus more on beat flicks to body on attack and defence; and allows for easier blocking of sixte line after parrying quarte.
Imboden and Foconi faced each other earlier this season at the Paris World Cup Semifinal, where Foconi beat Imboden 15-12. Before that they faced each other at the 2016 Cairo World Cup, where Imboden won 15-7, and the 2017 Cairo World Cup, where Foconi won 15-11.
*Cerioni has been the most well known foil coach for some time, having been the Head Coach of the Italian Senior Foil Teams - which won both Men's Team Gold and Women's Team Gold at the 2012 London Olympics; then the Head Coach of the Russian Senior Foil Teams - which won both Men's Team Gold and Women's Team Gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics and Rio World Championships respectively.
The commentators are Karim Bashir - someone who is almost as knowledgable about fencing as he is at commentating, a master of not speaking for minutes at a time, and when he does, it's about things that no one cares about; and Alexander Massialas - Men's Foil Fencer on Team USA, and Race Imboden's teammate
0:00 Introduction
1:09 Bout Begins