Stutchbury, 19, makes British fencing history

Teenager Carolina Stutchbury has become Great Britain’s first woman fencer to win a European Championship silver medal.

The 19-year-old reached the individual women’s foil final in Genoa after strong performances throughout the day, but suffered a 15-13 loss to France’s world number nine Eva Lacheray.

It meant United States-based Stutchbury went one better than last year when she took European bronze.

That had made her the only British female fencer to have claimed a place on the podium since the event was re-established in 1981.

“To medal twice in a row gives me confidence in my ability to perform consistently at major events and I am looking forward to the World Champs in Tbilisi in July.”