WUXI, China, April 7 (Xinhua) -- The FIE Junior and Cadet Fencing World Championships kicked off here on Monday, with 15-year-old Pan Qimiao securing a bronze medal for host China in the junior women's individual sabre event.

Defending champion Pan, who is world No. 1 in the junior rankings prior to the worlds, battled through a fever to dominate the early rounds. Pan then survived a late scare to edge Siobhan Sullivan of the United States 15-14, before easing past compatriot Rao Xueyi 15-5 in the quarterfinal.

Her semifinal clash against Alexandra Lee of the United States began promisingly with a 3-0 lead, but Pan faltered mid-match to trail 8-7 at halftime. Despite rallying to level the score after a tactical timeout, Lee seized control of the bout, ultimately triumphing 15-9.

"My performance in the semifinal was kind of chaotic," Pan reflected. "Once my opponent adjusted her pace, I lost mine, especially during transitions. I need to review the footage and identify my weaknesses."

"No special expectations. Just gonna fight my hardest," Pan said of her cadet individual and junior team events on the following days.

The gold medal went to neutral athlete Aleksandra Mikjailova, who dominated Lee 15-3 in the final.

In the junior men's individual sabre, Italy's Cosimo Bertini staged a comeback to upset world No. 1 Vlad Covaliu of Romania 15-12, securing his maiden international title.

"I'm over the cloud. It's unbelievable," said 19-year-old Bertini, who will transition to senior competitions next year. "One of my lifelong dreams just came true. There's no better feeling than this."

Running from April 7 to 15, the championships have attracted over 1,400 fencers from 101 countries and regions competing across 18 events, with China fielding a full contingent of 42 athletes. Enditem

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