Swordsman selected to represent Britain

9:29am Sunday 13th April 2008

BRAMLEY fencer Ben Peggs has been selected to represent Great Britain in the under-23 European Championships next month in Monza, Italy.

At 17, Peggs is the youngest of the three foil swordsmen selected and is looking forward to the challenge against a strong field from 27 countries across the continent.

Peggs said: "This is a great honour for me, as this is my first major championship.

"I am now training hard for the event, as I know I will be up against some stiff opposition.

"I am looking forward to the experience and it is a great reward for what has been a good season for me."

After this - the last major event of the season - will be the senior national championships in July.

Peggs has spent the winter competing in the World Junior Series, where his best placing was seventh in Poland, and he ended the series with a ranking of 64 in the world.

In his last two senior events in Britain this season, Peggs took part in the Birmingham International Senior Open - one of the top competitions of the season.

An uncharacteristic slip by the teenager saw him lose a pool fight, making the rest of the day very difficult.

He cruised through the early elimination rounds, until his last-eight fight, which he lost to Tristan Rowcliffe 15-13, giving him a final ranking on the day of eighth.

The result meant the 17-year-old finished the year ranked 11 in the British senior rankings.

The previous week, Peggs was in action at the Invicta Open in Canterbury and finished second, losing to Peter Barwell 15-8 in the final.

On the way to the final, the teenager beat Tony Bartlett, who represented Britain at the Olympics in Seoul and Barcelona, 15-5 in the quarter-finals.