NYFA

Young athlete trains in Brooklyn, fences for France, and finds International Success

Brooklyn, NY (January 17, 2014) – New York Fencing Academy member, Romain Cannone, achieved his best fencing result to date when he won the Cadet European Cup in Bratislava, Slovakia last Sunday. In just four months, Cannone quickly progressed towards his dream of going to the World Championships. He qualified to represent the French Cadet Team in October, then competed in three European Cups, taking ninth place in Bonn, Germany; third in Chalons, France; and now first in Slovakia. His gold medal was earned at one of the biggest competitions on the Cadet European Circuit with over 600 fencers from 38 countries. Cannone bested 268 athletes in the men’s epee 17-and-under category. This result advances Cannone to #3 on the European Cadet rankings and will likely secure his spot at the Cadet World Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria this spring.

The 16-year-old arrived in Bratislava feeling tired but excited. “The gym was very cool with country flags flying everywhere” he noted as he warmed up with his teammates. After training hard for four years and gaining international experience in the last few months, Cannone was ready to face his challengers with confidence. He fenced well from the start, winning six out of seven pools, losing just one bout by one point. Seeded 16th after pools, Cannone proceeded to eliminate his opponents handily, defeating Fastakovskiy (Russia) by a score of 15-10, Masserey (Switzerland) 15-9, and Nagurnyi (Ukraine) 15-6. In the table of 16, Cannone fenced the #1 seeded athlete, Bruev (Russia), and won 15-11. Cannone next defeated French (Canada) 15-12 which advanced him to semifinals and his toughest battle of the day against Kapala (Poland). Cannone found himself down 14-13 but managed to score two points in the last minute to win 15-14. After that bout, Cannone said he just knew he was going to get first place. He felt no pressure in the finals and defeated the #1 ranked European Cadet, Dabija (Romania) by a score of 15-12. Cannone recalled “when I won I was the happiest boy in the world. My team picked me up and threw me in the air. It was amazing.”

His previous best results include bronze in Chalons, France, and gold in the December North American Cup. He competes in the January North American Cup in Virginia this weekend, and the Cadet European Cup in Gothenburg, Sweden in February.

Cannone has been taking fencing lessons since 2008 from Coach Misha Mokretsov. In 2010, Mokretsov opened New York Fencing Academy, where Cannone continues to dedicate himself to his training, and also tries to help the young, talented clubmates who are following in his footsteps. A junior in high school, Cannone has little time for anything besides schoolwork and fencing, but says it’s all worth it. “It’s been fantastic so far. It never gets old.” Cannone wants to make his family, coach, and team proud. His friends and supporters, whether from New York or France, are proud to call him one of their own.

New York Fencing Academy (NYFA) was founded in 2010 by Head Coach Misha Mokretsov and is located in Brooklyn, NY. NYFA is quickly becoming a center for excellence in epee, with one of the strongest competitive epee youth and cadet programs in the tri-state area. In just three years, NYFA has produced many nationally-ranked fencers earning Champion and Finalist titles at International and National competitions, including a fencer on the French Cadet Team. NYFA provides private lessons, group classes, and camps for students of all ages and all levels, beginners to advanced. Visit www.fencenyfa.com for more info.

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Contact: Misha Mokretsov
Company: New York Fencing Academy
Address: 2896 W 12th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11224
Club Phone: (718) 996-0426
Cell Phone: (347) 741-1343
Email: info.nyfa@gmail.com
Website: http://www.fencenyfa.com