4 out of 5 events done for Women’s Foil and we have a good idea of what the qualification places look like. Remember, you only count your best 4 World Cup results, so to improve your score at the last event you need to beat your 4th best result – I have included a column to show what that is for each team.
France making the final moves them firmly inside the top for and now mathematically qualified for the Olympic Games, alongside Russia and Italy.
USA are almost certain to stay in the top 4. Japan has the chance to catch them, but Japan would need to finish at least 2nd at the final world cup (282 – 253 + 23 = 52). If the USA finish 5th, Japan would need to win the final world cup to reach the top-4. USA can maintain their top-4 ranking with a silver medal if Japan wins gold.
Canada cannot catch the USA, so need the USA to stay in the top 4.
Korea cannot catch Japan, so Japan are qualified whatever happens.
Hungary are definitely favourites to qualify. If they don’t improve on their current 4th result, Poland will need to finish 4th to catch them (199 – 191 + 25 = 33), and Germany would need to finish 3rd to catch them (199 – 184 + 23 = 38).
The other major question is the African zonal place. Egypt didn’t make the 16 again, but the lack of opposition means they have a good chance of qualification. We’ll look at this closer to the time but the teams that could knock Egypt out are Brazil, Taiwan, Singapore, and/or Romania.
Not that many changes in Women’s Foil Individual while Egypt hold on to their team place. Julia Walczyk (POL) and Nicole Pustilik (ISR) moved closer to the second European place with two top-16 finishes. Maria Teresa Diaz (ESP) could only make the top 96, but maintains a 6 point lead.
2 Grand Prix and a world cup still to come in Women’s Foil – there is still a long way to go!