Leipzig 2017 Fencing World Championships [FINAL] USA v Italy | Men's Foil Team Fencing

Footage the Final bout of the 2017 Fencing World Championships Men's Team Foil event between USA and Italy cut from the original stream for clarity and searching purposes.

This is my favorite USA v Italy match-up

The 2012 to 2016 Olympic cycle saw Italy as the most dominant team. At London 2012, France could not medal, Russia could not medal, China could not medal, USA could not medal. All that could "compete" with Italy were Japan and Germany - and even then, their chance of victory was not even close to 50/50. Since the 2012 Olympics, Team USA finally became a big player, with Miles Chamley-Watson winning the 2013 Individual World Championships, Race Imboden becoming World Number 1 in the Season of 2014-15, and Alexander Massialas and Gerek Meinhardt both medalling at the 2015 Individual World Championships, while the former also won Silver at the Rio Olympics and was World Number 1 in the Seasons of 2015-16 and 2016-17.

While Team USA was rising in the lead up to the Rio Olympics Team Italy had been mellowing. While Garozzo joining the team in 2015 and Italy went into Rio as the reigning World Champions, it was clear that they were not the at the same strength as in 2012. Cassara was getting less reliable, Garozzo has only been on the team for one season, Aspromonte got bored, Avola just isn't a replacement for Cassara or Baldini, and Baldini's style just was no longer viable in the new march-based foil meta.

Team USA beat Italy at the Rio Olympics Bronze Medal match, but after Rio, Massialas focused on his studies, while Meinhardt wrestled with retirement. In Italy, Baldini retired and Garozzo took the anchor spot. Foconi also joined the team, which was a much needed addition. These new line-ups saw the two teams clash on partial strengths a few times in the season. Now it's the World Championships and the two teams are at full strengths to fight for who will be the most dominant team for the next Olympic cycle.

Their match-ups in this season:
Tokyo 2016 - USA 45 - 34 Italy
Paris 2017 - USA 44 - 45 Italy
Bonn 2017 - USA 20 - 40 Italy (Without Massialas) Team USA conceded after the 8th leg as both Meinhardt and Chamley-Watson were injured so there was no one to fence the final leg.

Side notes: A few days previously, Garozzo defeated Imboden 15-14 in the quarterfinals to medal in the individual event. As Imboden retired after the season of 2020-2021, he is the only member of the "Original 4 plus Itkin" to not to win an Individual World Championships medal. This was also the first Team Foil Finals that Miles has fenced in.

Team USA:
Alexander Massialas
Race Imboden
Miles Chamley-Watson
Gerek Meinhardt (S)

Team Italy:
Daniele Garozzo
Alessio Foconi
Giorgio Avola
Andrea Cassara (S)

0:00 Introduction
2:40 Massialas v Foconi
7:26 Imboden v Garozzo
13:55 Chamley-Watson v Avola
21:58 Imboden v Foconi
29:15 Massialas v Avola
38:36 Chamley-Watson v Garozzo
48:25 Imboden v Avola
51:00 Chamley-Watson v Foconi
1:05:15 Massialas v Garozzo