PLYMOUTH College’s Ben Andrews won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Cadet Fencing Championships in Newcastle on Tuesday.
Andrews claimed his podium place in the men’s epee competition.
He managed to come through a tough group with three victories to go into the knockout stage seeded 15th.
In the round of 32 he beat Jamaica’s Tarriq Roach 15-7. He then overcame Scotland’s Issac McKerr 15-5 to reach the semi-finals.
In the last four he met Canada’s Riley Xian and triumphed 15-9 to set up a rematch in the final against India’s Sherjin Rajendran Shanthimol, who he had met in the group stages.
The Indian managed to hold off the challenge of the Plymouth Fencing Club star to win 15-9 and take the gold.
Andrews was joined on the podium by his England team-mate Luke Mason, who won a bronze medal.
Fellow Plymouth fencers Taylor Foxwell-Moss and Abagael Black also impressed in the girls’ cadet individual epee competition.
Foxwell-Moss finished in sixth place after reaching the quarter-finals where she lost to her England team-mate Eleanor Taylor, who went on to win gold.
Black won all her group games to go into the knockout rounds seeded second, but she agonisingly lost 13-12 to Wales’ Abigail Watkins in the last 16. Watkins went on to win bronze.
The cadet team competitions start on Wednesday before the Commonwealth Junior Championships start on Friday. Foxwell-Taylor is also part of the England team for that event.
