The Hellenic Fencing Federation invites all fans to the Panhellenic Championship, the top domestic event of 2023 where the titles in all weapons will be decided over three days of intense competition. As already announced, the qualifying matches will be held on Friday, the individual matches on Saturday and the team matches on Sunday.
The top 16 and the top 16 of the Panhellenic ranking in each weapon will have direct qualification to Saturday’s individual, while another 19 people will emerge from the qualification matches, to form five pools of seven fencers in each weapon.
Men’s practice sword
Nikos Kontochristopoulos (AOX Aegaleo) will claim the tenth title of his career (2008, 2014-2016, 2018-2022). Opposite him will be Giorgos Manolikas (AXIA), who this year has won a pan-Hellenic cup and is No. 2 in the pan-Hellenic ranking, as well as Ilias Gianno-Rizos (AOX Aigaleo) and Dimitris Doudos (GE Florina) who were promoted in last year’s competition on the third step of the podium.
Raphael Soulios (AXIA) and the teenager Artemios Tzovanis (AOX Aigaleo) have reached the finals of panhellenic cups this year and are also competitive.
Women’s sword exercise
Katerina Kontochristopoulou (AOX Aigaleo) with five titles (2011, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2019) and Maria Chaldaiou (AXIA) with four titles (2016, 2017, 2021, 2022) will claim one more title for their collection.
The new players Vasiliki Mekra (AOX Aegaleo) and Ariadni Naskari (AOX Glyfada), as well as the juniors Stavrina Garifallou (AOX Aegaleo) and Eleni Ballou (AOX Aegaleo) have reached the cup podium in the current season and want to close the year with the same way.
Men’s dueling sword
Savvas Kavvadias (PAO) will be present to defend his title and claim his fourth victory in the Panhellenic men’s championship. Among those who will try to defeat him will be Thodoris Avramidis (Iraklis Thessaloniki) who had won the first cup this year and Nikos Tsokas (OXIF) who is the only one who has climbed twice on the cup podium (one silver and one bronze) ).
The field in the weapon is particularly open given that six other athletes have won a medal in the three previous cups: Stergios Tsokas (OXIF), Filippos Hatzitipis (OXIF), Dimitris Mitsios-Antonakos (LX Thessaloniki), Giannos Markopoulos (OS Kifissias), but also the talented teenagers Panagiotis Theodoropoulos (AO Ariston Paanias) and Konstantinos Karambasis (AO Ariston Paanias). Angelos Raspoptsis (OXIF), who last year reached the grand final, will also be present.
Women’s dueling sword
Nefeli Rodopoulou (AOFIPS Iris), who this year has one gold and two silvers in the Panhellenic cups, will seek to defend her last year’s title. The winner of the last two cups, Andriana Theodoropoulou (AO Ariston Paanias), wants to make the upset and maintain her winning streak, while the return to the first step of the podium will be chased by the 2021 Greek champion, Nicole Hatzisarantou (AO Ariston Paanias ).
Fani Varveri (AO Theseas Heraklion), Maria Hantzi (AOFIPS Irida) and Christina Boronkau (Lygas Pentelis) are the three who have completed the podiums of the winners in this year’s cups, while present in the Panhellenic will also be the “bronzes” of 2022, Irini Karabini (AOFIPS Irida) and Eleni Paschalidou (AS Xifomachos).
Men’s swords
Dimitris Kafataridis (AO Ariston Paanias) is dominant this year with 3/3 wins in the cups and wants to win the first pan-Hellenic men’s title of his career, which he did not have the chance to claim last year, since the epee championship did not take place. Angelos Pagalos (E Kostea Geitona), who has proven to be a strong opponent thanks to the two silver medals he won in the two cups he participated in, will be absent from the championship.
From there on, the men Alexandros Poliakov (AO Apollon Vrilissio), Panagiotis Kontoideis (AEK) and Yiannis Priftis (AO Ariston Paianas), the young Vassilis Predaris (AO Ariston Paanias) and Panagiotis Manesiotis (AO Ilysiakos) have distinguished themselves with appearances on the podium ) and the teenagers Thomas-Avraam Grollios (Aris Thessaloniki) and George-Gy Leoton (Aris Thessaloniki).
Women’s swords
With Dora Goundura and Despina Georgiadou absent due to their participation in the Seoul Grand Prix, the only thing certain is that the Pan-Hellenic title held by Goundura from 2021 will change hands. The experienced Marina Paizi (AS Victoria) is healthy and will claim her fourth Panhellenic title after 2008, 2012 and 2014.
Clairi Benou (AO Ariston Peanias) has won a domestic cup this year and is always a strong opponent, as is Athenais Mavrikaki (AO Aspida), who has two silver medals. The young Despina Konstantakopoulou (OSFP), Marilena Gazepidis (OSFP), Anna-Iosifina Papadas (E Kostea Geitona), Antonia-Argyro Papatheodorou (E Kostea Geitona) are in good shape this year and are lurking for the upset, as is the youngster Alina Kourousi (AO Apollon Vrilissi).
The new Konstantina Kefala (AO Ariston Peanias) is also a fencer who can claim a place on the podium.
I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.