Two of four Estonian women épée stars through to world championship last 32
In what has become something of a four musketeers Estonian lineup in recent years, women's épée competitors Katrina Lehis, Kristina Kuusk, Julia Beljajeva and Irina Embrich have been competing in the individual category at the FIE World Fencing Championship in Budapest, Hungary.
The first round saw two of the four win their opening contests to make it to the last 32 at the BOK sports hall.
Irina Embrich, the veteran of the lineup, who won individual silver at the world championships in 2006, won 15:13 against Aleksandra Zamachowska of Poland, and faces Coraline Vitalis (France) next.
Lehis, 23, defeated Katerina Saligerova of the Czech Republic 15:8, and will face local fencer Eszter Muhar in the next round.
Beljajeva, 25, on the other hand, was defeated by Xu Anq of China 15:14, and Kuusk, 23, lost to Sarra Besbes (Tunisia) 15:9.
Embrich and Lehis will be in action on Thursday.
The quartet reached the European Championships team event quarter finals in June.
The épée is the largest and heaviest of the three weapons used in sport fencing; its rules of engagement differ somewhat from those of the more familiar foil, as there are no rules regarding priority and right of way, and the entire body is a valid target area.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte
