Richard Kruse Main Task For Improvement: Increase stamina, more fitness training Hobby: Fencing! |
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News story Fencer Richard Kruse achieved the outstanding success of his career when he beat Italian superstar Cassara in his own backyard on his way to becoming European junior champion last week.In the final, a terrific duel between two highly skilful exponents, world junior champion and European senior title holder Cassara was within one hit of victory at 14-13. But weary Kruse, summoning up his last ounce of energy, scored with two tremendous thrusts to take the honours, 15-14. Former Polish Olympic representative Ziemek Wojciechowski, who coaches Kruse at the Salle Paul Club, at Highgate School, said: "It was a truly great performance by Richard, who not only had the talented Cassara to contend with, but also a very noisy, partisan Italian crowd. "He's only 18 and will be eligible to defend the title next year." For Kruse, of Nethercourt Avenue, Finchley, the triumph wiped out memories of a near miss in the European Junior competition in Helsinki a year ago, when he lost to fellow Salle Paul fencer Laurence Halstead in the final. It was the climax of a tremendous ten-day treble which began with a 15-11 revenge win over Halstead in the final of the British Junior championships in Bristol. He followed that with another impressive success, outclassing powerful Germans Zorck and Wainkauf on their home territory in the World Junior Cup. Following a 15-6 win over Zorck in the semi-final, Kruse brushed aside the challenge of Wainkauf with a comfortable 15-5 success. Kruse contests the World Senior Cup in Vienna later this month. Seventh in the World Junior Championships last year, he has the gold medal in his sights this time round in Sicily in April, and is planning to take a big stride forward at July's World Senior Championships. |
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