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Footage the Final bout of the 2022 Fencing World Championships Men's Team Foil event between USA and Italy cut from the original stream for clarity and searching purposes
The Rio to Tokyo Olympic Cycle period saw USA as the most dominant team on the circuit. While Team USA were not able to win neither Rio nor Tokyo Olympic Games nor two of the three World Championships in that period, they made up for it by winning almost every World Cup in that cycle.
Now it's Italy's turn. As normal for the season after the Olympics, every team have lost big hitters to retirement or a break. France lost Le Pechoux, while Mertine and Pauty seem to be on a break. For Team USA, Imboden is taking a break from competitions, while Meinhardt is probably easing off a little this season. The entirety of Team Russia is taking a break because their country invaded Ukraine. Japan hasn't lost anyone but Saito sucks and Matsuyama is mid again. Korea lost Lee. And Hong Kong is still operating on a two good fencers per competition basis.
Meanwhile Italy has gone through big changes. First of all, Cerioni is head coach again. Now I don't know if Cerioni would have returned regardless, but maybe Cipressa's inability to bring back a mens team foil Olympic medal or choosing his daughter to go to the Olympics when there were two higher ranked Italian fencers (not counting DiFrancesca) at the time had something to do with that...
Secondly, Italy has finally lost every member of the 2012 Olympic Team. The previous generation of - let's just hold out until Cassara saves us - has ended (though Cassara does want to go for Paris 2024). Avola has been pushed off the team too. And who replaced them - crazy frog and *vomits*... So Bianchi, I like watching Bianchi (sometimes), even though I think he's currently the weakest member of the four by far. But Marini, I really don't like watching Marini. Not saying that he's a bad fencer - in fact he's the current World No. 1 - but I just don't find being long an enjoyable style to watch. Regardless, if the Italians manage to fix Cassara or if Bianchi improves so more, it seems like Italy will be the most dominant player in this Olympic Season.
Previous Match-ups - Italy beating USA at World Champs Finals is just a classic at this point:
2012 London Olympics Semifinal - Italy blows up USA in the semis - as to be expected, USA were young and Italy were the favorites
2013 Budapest WCH Final - USA has a huge comeback in the semis against France, but the team was young and half its members were injured, so losing against Italy in the Final is honestly a pretty good result
2015 Moscow WCH Semifinal - Garozzo's first year on the team. USA put up a really good fight, but Cassara retakes the lead in the seventh, Garozzo 5-0 Miles in the 8th, and Baldini closed it out in the 9th.
2016 Rio Olympics Bronze - USA finally beats Italy at a major!!!
2017 Leipzig WCH Final - USA won most of the medals in the season. Italy dropped Baldini for Foconi, and this was Garozzo's first year as anchor. Italy still wins
2018 Wuxi World WCH Final - USA won every world cup of that season. However, this time it wasn't even close - Italy wins again
2019 Budapest WCH - USA wins its first ever WCH, but it didn't face Italy along the way
2021 Tokyo Olympics - USA wins Bronze, while Italy lost to Japan in the quarterfinal
2022 - Italy wins every (if not almost every - I don't remember the result for Cairo World Cup) event, but can USA stop them?
Original: • Cairo 2022 Fencing Wor...
Team USA:
Alexander Massialas
Nikita Itkin
Chase Emmer
Gerek Meinhardt (S)
Team Italy:
Daniele Garozzo
Alessio Foconi
Tommaso Marini
Guillaume Bianchi (S)
0:00 Introduction
3:24 Massialas v Marini
6:56 Emmer v Garozzo
11:00 Itkin v Foconi
18:02 Emmer v Marini
22:02 Massialas v Foconi
31:00 Itkin v Garozzo
38:14 Emmer v Foconi
43:15 Itkin v Marini
46:13 Massialas v Garozzo