Alessandroni Wins Metropolitan Foil
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Alessandroni Wins Metropolitan Foil
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February 11, 1937
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2
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3
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ALESSANDRONI WINS METROPOLITAN FOIL
Hugh Alessandroni, National Champion, won the Metropolitan Foil title by defeating Hugo Castello, Intercollegiate champion, 5-3 in a fence-off after both had won 4 bouts in the final. During the regular pool, Castello had beaten Alessandroni 5-3, but had lost to Huffman by a like score. "Job" Barnack again showed surprising strength in his comeback to competition, when he nosed out Huffman for the third place medal. J. de Capriles and Lubell completed the final pool. Warren Dow, last year’s champion, did not defend as he has not yet fully recovered from a recent ankle injury.
Alessandroni's fine technique stood him in good stead through the long and tedious competition at the Salle Vince. Seven preliminary strips, which could be run off only three at a time because of the lack of space, and two long semi-final pools prolonged the meet far into the night. It was 2:15 when the first-place fence-off was held, and while most of the fencers bogged down toward the end, Alessandroni managed to maintain a steady pace throughout the evening. Though defeated by Cornel Wilde in the preliminary and by Norman Lewis in the semi-final, the national champion led all the pools in which he competed and was never in real trouble.
Huffman's beautiful style held for eight consecutive victories, including the first two bouts of the final, and then in the early morning hours, he suffered defeats in his last three engagements. The ability of Castello, Barnack, and Lubell to qualify for the final round ahead of such seasoned campaigners as Nunes and Every is partly attributed to their physical stamina and their rising fencing skill. Castello has won a silver and bronze medal in the two senior events in which he has competed.
The competition was far too long, and the scarcity of approved officials was keenly felt. To make matters worse, those present were too close to the fencers, with the result that Wendell Every suffered a painful accident when Barnack’s flying blade hit his eye.
