MONMOUTH schoolgirl Olivia Orchart, 16, celebrated being invited to compete for the Welsh region at epee in fencing's Winton Cup at the weekend - by winning a championship at her preferred weapon of foil. Olivia's call-up is down to her being the top-placed Welsh qualifier at epee for the recent under-18 British Championships, but she swept aside all her opponents to take gold in last Sunday's West Wales regional foil competition in Lampeter, retaining the title she won last year.

She won all 13 of her fights on her way to gold, conceding only eight hits while scoring 50 in her ten pool matches before the knock-out stages, eventually defeating Aberystwyth University student Emily Stubbs in the final.

Olivia's brothers, George, 13, and Henry, nine, were too young to enter the men's competition, but kept up the family tradition in the youth competition, George taking the gold medal and Henry finishing 13th of the 18 competitors despite being the youngest participant and facing some opponents more than four years older then himself.

All three are members of Gwent Sword Club.

Monmouth's Katherine Kempe was quick to follow up last week's success in the Welsh Open sabre competition, where she finished 14th, matching it with another 14th place in the Oratory junior women's sabre competition in London the very next day.