Gold Medal bout of the Second fencing event of the 2022 to 2023 Season - 2022 Tokyo Men's Foil Fencing Team World Cup - Between USA and Japan.
On the Left - Japan
Since Russia has been banned from competing, Japan has been making the semifinals of events more often - most often losing both bouts to come forth. Since the end of the previous season, Reigning Junior World Champion and 2022 Senior Belgrade Grand Prix Bronze Medalist, IIMURA Kazuki has replaced SAITO Toshiya for most team events. SUZUMURA Kenta is also now in the top 4 again
On the Right - USA
Team USA is the reigning World Championships Silver medalists, reigning Olympic Bronze Medalists, 2019 World Champion, and Silver medalists at the 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2018 World Championships. USA also won the first event of this season - Bonn World Cup
It is surprising to see that Race IMBODEN has still not returned to competition after the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games, especially as Olympic Qualifications will begin later this season and Race still has not fenced in the individual event since 2012. Chase EMMER is also missing, so Miles CHAMLEY-WATSON (who made top 8 at Bonn) is back to fill the fourth spot.
Surprisingly, on the first day, Meinhardt and Chamley-Watson both failed to qualify for the individual top 64. Also, now the four members are split by two clubs - Massialas and Meinhardt are coached by Greg Massialas from the Massialas Foundation and Nick Itkin and Miles Chamley-Watson are coached by Misha Itkin from LAIFC
Team JAPAN
SHIKINE Takahiro 敷根 崇裕
MATSUYAMA Kyosuke 松山 恭助
IIMURA Kazuki
SUZUMURA Kenta 鈴村健太 (R)
Team USA
Alexander MASSIALAS
Miles CHAMLEY-WATSON
Nikita ITKIN
Gerek MEINHARDT (R)
Previous Match-Ups:
Team USA had defeated Japan in the Bronze Medal bout of the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games. From memory, Team Japan has never beaten Team USA
0:00 Introduction
0:09 MATSUYAMA v MASSIALAS
3:25 SHIKINE v CHAMLEY-WATSON
5:06 IIMURA v ITKIN
8:25 MATSUYAMA v CHAMLEY-WATSON
11:49 IIMURA v MASSIALAS
11:32 SHIKINE v ITKIN
15:43 SUZUMURA v CHAMLEY-WATSON
18:57 MATSUYAMA v ITKIN
20:02 SHIKINE v MASSIALAS