Philip Wins Junior World Title

This article is reproduced from The Sword with permission

Philip Marsh, a left-handed epeeist from Bath, has become Britain’s first junior world champion for 35 years. And, at just 16½, he is the youngest male fencer ever to win a junior world title. Here he explains how it happened.

“Before the Junior Championships, a few days earlier I has taken part in the Cadet Championships and so was feeling comfortable with the surroundings, the heat – fencing initially in a large tent – and the great atmosphere in the venue.

I went into the competition feeling relaxed, but was concerned to find the (then) reigning junior world champion, Nikita Glazkov of Russia, who I had previously fenced and lost to, in my poule. My initial aim was just get through the poule and reach the knock-out stage.

I won four out of six fights and was ranked 40th, losing to Glazkov and also to a Cypriot (the only right-hander in the poule). I then had to fence one of my friends, Alex Farmer (SVK), in the first round of DE, something I never like doing. But I beat him 15-3 and followed it with a 15-9 victory over Khachatryan (ARM), which put me into the L32, the wireless stage. By this time, I was very happy and enjoying the competition, not thinking at all about where I might end up.

Marsh v Fayz

[Serge & Amy Timacheff]

Next I faced Vallosio (ITA). I was really not expecting to win, as less than a month before I had watched him win the Gothenburg A-grade and thought wow!, if only I could be as good as him. But as we fenced, I realised he was vulnerable to feint counter-attacks and I also noticed that he took only one parry, so that I could get through with compound attacks. Every time I got a hit, it seemed to make him more angry, and me more confident. A 15-8 victory put me through to the L16”.

This was Marsh’s key fight and he showed remarkable maturity in outwitting a formidable opponent with third-intention moves – waiting for a feint attack, making a feint counter-attack and then deceiving the attempt to parry the counter.

Understandably brimming with confidence after this, he thought, ‘If I can beat the last guy, why can't I beat the next?’ “Against Suto (HUN), I worked out that I could prompt a certain type of parry depending on where I attacked and managed to defeat him 15-6 to progress to the quarter-finals. By this time I was ecstatic, and the British support from the other weapons started to build. I didn't think about winning, just about not losing.

My next opponent was another Hungarian called File, who had the same coach as Suto. It was obvious from the outset that they had worked out how I had beaten him. I went 1-0 up before passivity was called, and by the second break I was 6-7 down, with most of my attacks being to the leg. During the break Sue, my coach, and I agreed I had to change what I was doing, so I varied my approach and we reached 14-all. At this point I thought I would double bluff him and decided to revert to a leg attack when he stepped in with full power. Thankfully it paid off.

Then the realisation hit me that I had to face Glazkov again. I was feeling more confident than I had in the poule and got the first hit, which really surprised me, as it was the first single light I had ever scored against him. He quickly equalised and from then on the fight was on. As I started to attack more, he found it harder to judge the distance from which to launch his own attacks, making it easier for me to predict what he was going to do. I was learning throughout the fight and got better at picking him up at times when he was vulnerable. At the break I found myself 10-8 up. Sue is a very calm and encouraging coach and gave me confidence by reassuring me that what I was doing was good and told me how I was being hit with suggestions about how to prevent that. After the break, I knew how I would get my hits and went on to win 15-10 and advance to the final.

The depth and penetration of this attack takes Glaskov by surprise

[Serge & Amy Timacheff FencingPhotos.com]

It was only now that I thought it might be possible to win the championship, although I had to keep focused for the final against Fayz (EGY), the 2008 cadet world champion. As I walked onto the piste, I felt strangely calm and unfazed. The British team were really loud in their support for me, which was a fantastic feeling. The noise in the fencing hall was truly electrifying, with British supporters shouting with all their might and the Egyptians trying hard to match them. It was the most amazing sound to hear... and definitely helped me enjoy the final.

I felt really in control and, having beaten the previous junior world champion, was confident that I was going to beat Fayz. The fact that he kept fleching at me played to my advantage as, once I got 2 hits up, I could go back to my signature move, stop hits, and go for the doubles. Although the score reached 11-10 at one point, I just kept going and won 15-13. It was a huge sense of relief. I looked back to see the British team running at me. The next few minutes I will always remember as, despite my size, I was thrown into the air, and surrounded by cheers and congratulations. It was amazing!”

This victory propelled Marsh up the world rankings from 140th to 6th. His coach Sue Benney added, “In the Europeans, Philip lost to Glaskov 15-3 in the first period, so I suggested he should take his time more and set up his hits. He attacked with such confidence that most of his opponents were taken by surprise and, when they attempted to retaliate, his stop hit was such a good move that my advice was to continue with it, but also to attack on preparation if he was pushed too close and to keep moving, something that is illustrated well by Peter Barrett's great photo of the two finalists in the air. 

Once again Marsh catches the world No 1 off guard

[Serge & Amy Timacheff FencingPhotos.com]

In the L8 Philip showed signs of cramp, so I asked our team manager Linda Strachan to find a physio to give his legs a massage. The back up from the team was brilliant, which meant I only had to ask for something and it was sorted out, from medical help and isotonic drinks to general support. In the final our team out-shouted the Egyptians and I know it helped lift Phil. In addition, he was uninjured for about the first time this season and his room mate Dan Ming was really good. All of these things helped get him in the right frame of mind.”

Background

Philip Marsh started fencing when he was 11, but had to take 2 years out after dislocating his hip while playing rugby. Following his return to fencing in 2007, his progress has been rapid. Runner-up in the British cadet epee championship in 2009 and third in the junior, he won both events last year, as well as winning the UK School Games epee title and coming third in his first overseas cadet tournament. And now, still only 16, he has become the youngest junior world epee champion.

He fences at Bath Sword Club where he is coached by Sue Benney. She said, “I have coached Philip since he was 11. He’d just done a beginners’ course at Bath Sword Club and I saw him standing around, tall and left-handed, so I asked him if he would like to try epee. Initially, he used a pistol grip with a size 2 weapon but found his hand was cramped and changed to a pommel grip. Barry Paul suggested he try the tennis grip and he has used that ever since.

He’s always enjoyed his lessons and listens to advice while fencing. When he was 14 he came 7th in the senior national championship and won the Keele Open. This season started frustratingly as he was injured and had to take several weeks off. But he got a L32 at the Junior Europeans, which was enough to qualify him for the world championships. He was slightly disappointed with his L8 in the cadet event, when he developed cramp, but more than made up for it with his junior result.”

On the point of scoring against Glaskov

[Serge & Amy Timacheff FencingPhotos.com]

Scoring against Suto in the L16

[Peter Barrett]

On the podium (L to R) Fayz (EGY), Philip Marsh, Sue Benney, Glaskov (RUS), Lahtinen (FIN)

[Serge & Amy Timacheff FencingPhotos.com]

The British Team

[Serge & Amy Timacheff FencingPhotos.com]

The Junior World Epée Championships took place in Jordan on 2 April 2011

© 2011 Bath Sword Club