Published on 03 December 2024 Emma Neykova won a bronze medal in the junior women's sabre tournament in Hammamet (Tunisia), part of the Fencing World Cup. Competing against 144 athletes from 24 countries, the first-year student from the National Sports Academy "Vasil Levski" performed impressively and deservedly stepped onto the podium. Neykova advanced from the group stage with five wins and one loss, despite suffering a thumb injury early on. In the elimination rounds, the athlete from the "Svechnikov" club defeated Chloe Leobon (France) 15:5, enduring a strong blow to the elbow of her weapon hand during the bout. Nevertheless, Emma Neykova continued her strong performance and reached the medal rounds. In the match for a spot in the Top 32, the Bulgarian eliminated Samira Shokirova (Uzbekistan) 15:13. This was followed by a 15:12 victory over Polina Mishakina from the Commonwealth of Independent States. In a fiercely contested battle for a semifinal berth, the NSA student overcame Amalia Kovalyu (Romania) with a narrow 15:14 win. In the match for a place in the final, Neykova faced the top-seeded Magda Skarbonkiewicz (USA), coming just one point short of a chance to compete for the gold medal. Emma Neykova lost 14:15, earning a well-deserved bronze medal. | 