Don Treanor and Fergus Wightman, representing the Bermuda Fencing Federation, competed in the Fairfax Challenge event in Fredericksburg, Virginia over the weekend. The signature USA Fencing tournament for Region Six attracted high-quality athletes from across the US as well as international athletes from as far afield as Pakistan.
There was fencing action throughout Friday, Saturday, and Sunday with the 80,000 square-foot venues accommodating 40 grounded strips, with experienced tournament staff and referees overseeing the event.
Treanor fenced in all three disciplines of foil, epee, and saber in the veteran category. Finishing in 9th and 16th places in foil and epee respectively. He ended with a rewarding performance in the veteran men’s saber with a 3rd place finish narrowly missing out on the final.
Thirteen-year-old Wightman, competing at an international event for the first time, achieved a top 20 position in the youth saber category. The event was ultimately won by William Yan of the Nazlymov Fencing Foundation who is currently ranked 57th in the US.
Commenting on his performance, Wightman said, “My goal for this tournament was to get a feel for fencing at an international level and to be competitive. Overall, I am happy with how things went and have learned a lot. I am grateful for the coaching that Treanor has provided, particularly at the event. I am also thankful for the support the other coaches, especially David Semos, have provided since taking up fencing a few years ago. I look forward to continuing my development and training for my next overseas event.”
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