Turkish girl delighted with European fencing title

İZMİR

A 17-year-old girl from the Aegean province of İzmir is very happy to have become Turkey’s first woman fencer to win a European title.

Deniz Selin Ünlüdağ won the title at the Junior and Cadet European Fencing Championships held over the weekend in Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi.

Ünlüdağ, an athlete of the İzmir Municipality club, beat Darya Drozd of the host country 15-9 in the semifinal of the Cadet Women’s Saber event, before beating Bulgarian Yoana Ilieva 15-11 in the final to clinch the gold medal and claim Turkey’s second European title in its 95-year fencing history and first in the women’s category.

“This is truly an unbelievable feeling,” Ünlüdağ said.

“It was a major test for me after dealing with a mid-season injury, and I believe that I have achieved a major success. I want to thank those who have always supported me, my family, my coaches, the Turkish Fencing Federation and the Youth and Sports Ministry,” she added.