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European Dominance in Women's Epee Team Competition at the Olympic Games in Paris.

The fourth day of the Olympic Games in Paris was a milestone for European fencing, culminating in an all-European podium in the women's epee team competition. Italy claimed the gold medal, triumphing over France in a compelling final held at the historic Grand Palais.

Italy demonstrated their skill and cohesion from the very first bout. In the semifinals, they secured a dominant victory over China with a comfortable margin. The French team, meanwhile, displayed resilience and tactical acumen, overcoming the reigning world champions, Poland, to advance to the final.

Despite a challenging start to the season, with no podium finishes in the initial World Cup events, Italy showed remarkable improvement and determination, achieving three World Cup victories this year. France, on the other hand, had a mixed season, struggling to find consistency until their promising third-place finish at the European Championships in Basel.

The final match between Italy and France was a historic moment for European fencing, being the first all-European Olympic final in women's epee since 2004. The last time Italy and France faced each other in an Olympic final was in 1996 in Atlanta, where France won. Today, Italy edged out France by one touche in a hard-fought bout that went down to the wire.

In the bronze medal match, world champions Poland faced off against China. Despite their turbulent season, with only one podium finish early on, the Polish team fought fiercely and secured the bronze in a thrilling sudden-death bout, demonstrating their resilience and adaptability against a determined Chinese squad.

Tomorrow, the focus will shift to the men's sabre team competition, where spectators can expect more intense and high-level fencing. The day promises to be filled with thrilling matches and surprising outcomes.

The European Fencing Confederation is immensely proud of the European fencers' achievements so far and looks forward to an exciting conclusion to the tournament. We extend our best wishes to all the teams competing in the remaining events.