The cold shower. French fencer Romain Cannone was eliminated in the round of 16, this Sunday, July 28, against Kazakh Ruslan Kurbanov. Three years after the surprise gold at the Tokyo Games, the 27-year-old athlete will not repeat the feat at home under the glass roof of the Grand Palais. The other Frenchman entered in épée, Yannick Borel, has secured his place in the quarter-finals.
Unknown to the general public before 2021, Romain Cannone was ranked 47th in the world rankings at the time. He then replaced Daniel Jérent at short notice, who was threatened with suspension for doping. He revealed himself against opponents who discovered a lively and technical fencer. He won the gold medal in épée against the Hungarian world number one Gergely Siklósi. Since then, he has remained at the highest level: 2022 world champion, bronze medalist at the 2023 world championship. He also shines in the team: 2022 world champion, vice-world champion in 2023 then European champion in 2024. But at home, the Boulogne-Billancourt native will not have managed to bring back a new medal for the French delegation.
