YORK’S Martha Meadows has been crowned under-10 British foil fencing champion, writes Josh Luckhurst.

The Heworth youngster won her first gold medal at the event at William Brookes Sports Centre, Much Wenlock, in Shropshire.

The St George’s Primary School pupil, a member of Harrogate Fencing Club, is celebrating gold after being on the podium many times in the Yorkshire Youth League.

The British Foil Fencing competition is held four times a year, with the next one scheduled for Penistone Grammar School, Sheffield, on June 15.

Proud father Jonathan said: “We are delighted for her as she has been chasing the gold medal after having three silvers and a bronze medal in recent Yorkshire Youth League meetings.”

The nine-year-old champion has recently been on a three-day intensive training camp at the Leon Paul Training Centre in London and after her success may be looking for sterner competitions.

“We are going to start looking for competitions further afield,” said Jonathan. “She has trained at the Leon Paul Training Centre, the main equipment distributor, and they have a series that we could look to put her in.”

The nine-year-old, who has been fencing since the age of seven, aims to be an Olympic champion.

“She doesn’t have any targets for the next couple of years but she wants to be an Olympic champion,” said her father.

“Caitlin Chang, who is a member with Martha at Harrogate, won this trophy in 2004 and she is on course to go to Rio in 2016 so she has a role model to look up to now.”

Harrogate Fencing Club offer beginners courses for children and adults, and can be contacted at info@harrogatefencingclub.org.uk

Further information is available on their website www.harrogatefencingclub.org.uk

Meanwhile, the Ryedale Fencing Club meet on Wednesday nights in Malton. For information, email contact maitredcwalker@aol.com