Returning to competition six months after the Paris Games, Olympic saber vice-champion Sara Balzer was eliminated in the round of 16 at the Tunis Grand Prix on Sunday.
The day was more pleasant for two other members of the French team: Sébastien Patrice, a man in good form at the start of the season, took second place and Sarah Noutcha climbed to the third step of the podium.
After managing to dismiss her compatriot Mathilde Mouroux then the Italian Chiara Mormile in the second round, Sara Balzer lost to the Uzbek Zaynab Dayibekova, 21st in the world, 15-11.
The Tunis Grand Prix marked the return to competition of the 29-year-old shooter, world No.1, six months after the Olympics from which she emerged in silver after a Franco-French duel in the final against Manon Apithy-Brunet.
In the quarters, Zaynab Dayibekova fell against another Frenchwoman, Sarah Noutcha, and had less success.
Victorious (15-10), Noutcha, 25, beaten in the semi-final by the Japanese Misaki Emura, scored her first podium of the season.
Still in sabre, but on the men’s side, Sébastien Patrice missed the opportunity to win his second victory of the season, only falling in the final against the Korean Park Sangwon.
After a World Cup victory in Oran, Algeria, Patrice took third place at the Grand Prix d’Orléans in early December. The team bronze medalist in Paris signs his third podium in as many events in Tunis since the restart.
In Hong Kong, French foilists Pauline Ranvier, Morgane Patru, Eva Lacheray and Anita Blaze also reached third place.
The men’s foil had less success at the Challenge International de Paris, where the Blues failed at the foot of the podium on Sunday.
