London 2012: Troiano and Bentley see GB through to face Italy

Thursday, August 2, 2012
11:17 AM

Olympic fencing: Britain’s women team foil team beat Egypt 45-34

London-based duo Sophie Troiano and Anna Bentley helped Britain’s women through to the fencing team foil quarter-finals, beating Egypt 45-34 to set up a meeting with a strong Italian side at the ExCel Arena.

Team GB were always in control after the second bout of a nine but Bentley, 31, opened the contest with a 5-3 defeat to Eman Gaber.

Natalia Sheppard then turned things around against Eman Elgammal thrashing her opponent 6-1, putting Team GB in front at 9-6.

From there the home nation never relinquished the lead as Mayfair’s Lansdowne Fencing Club’s Troiano – who was beaten by team-mate Sheppard in the individual foil – extended the advantage with a close-fought bout against Shaimaa Elgammal.

Another one-sided clash saw Bentley ease to a 6-1 win over Rana el Husseiny, the woman Troiano would go on to narrowly beat after she fell to her first defeat, a 7-5 reverse to gaber – Egypt’s most potent threat.

A further loss for Bentley to Shaimaa Elgammal saw the African nation reduce the overall deficit to nine hits, but Sheppard guided Team GB through in the anchor bout, beating Gaber 9-7.