To make a donation to support my international competitions, please click here:
Joe's friendly 'foe' Published Date: 06 June 2008, Sheffield Telegraph
FRIENDLY rivalry proved too much for up-and-coming fencer Joe Littler. The Sheffield youngster found himself up against County team-mate Aubrey Capern-Burgess in the penultimate Leon Paul Junior Series in Bradford. A 15-8 victory over Andrew Dixon resulted in the all-Yorkshire showdown for a place in the epee semi-finals. The lead changed hands several times and with just 12 seconds remaining the score was locked at 7-7. In a last desperate effort, Aubrey gained the vital 'hit.' Despite the setback, Joe will finish a creditable fourth overall with the final Scottish competition still to come.
Joe and Co. ready to make their point. Published Date: 03 October 2008 Sheffield Telegraph HOPED-FOR honours for a number of Sheffield fencers this weekend as the city hosts the National Cadet and Junior Championships. The country's top youngsters, male and female, take part in the event for epee, foil and sabre at the English Institute of Sport. Up-and-coming fencer Joe Littler heads the Sheffield and Yorkshire contingent alongside Jo Mountfield (Riding sabre), Caitlin and Jordan Chang, Husayn Rosowsky, Danny Ming, Aubrey Capern-Burgess, Adam Edwards and Molly Jowsey. Joe warmed up for the event with a 10th place finish in a National Under -17 tournament at Bolton. He's now ranked in the top 10 in the cadets and is expected to be named in the GB team for a tournament in Austria.
Joe on Look North TV
Press release: 3 April 2008
Joe was selected to go to Poland to represent England along with several other Yorkshire fencers. He flew to Poland on Thursday, fenced on Friday and flew home on Saturday. He fenced in the International Childrens’ Fencing tournament called Challenge Wratislavia, in Wroclaw, Poland. He fenced well against boys who are often state sponsored, reaching a creditable 39th place.
On Sunday he went straight to the British squad training weekend. The squad are working towards the World cadet championships 2009 and he has come home determined to be in the top 4. To do this he has to dedicate even more time to his training, he already fences 3 nights a week, but he will now add swimming and circuit training to his training plan.
He will be the right age-group for the Youth Olympic games 2010 which is to be held in Singapore, we don’t know yet how the team for this will be selected, but Joe is hopeful of a place.
He is currently 1st in the Leon Paul Junior Series after 2 events and needs 2 more good results to secure this top position in the national competition.
Anyone who would like to offer support to this young fencer can contact us via his website www.fencing.joelittler.co.uk
Other Yorkshire fencers were Jamie Albert, James Loryman, Jordan Chang, Patrick Jennings and Molly Jowsey (Caitlin Chang was selected but didn’t attend). 5 out of the 12 boys selected were from Yorks and 2 out of the 12 girls, a good proportion from one county.
Broken blade fails to foil Littler Published Date: 21 March 2008, Sheffield Telegraph
A BROKEN blade failed to halt Joe Littler's progress in the thrust and counter thrust world of fencing. The 14-year-old from Sheffield finished third in the first ranking event of the new season, the Leon Paul Junior series under-15 epee in Blackpool. He was ranked first at the end of the second set of poules, despite a spectaculkar incident when the tip of his blade broke off and shot across the room! Joe earned himself a bye into the last 16 and went on to clinch a place in the semi-finals with 15-11 and 15-6 wins respectively. Unfortunately he was then edged out 14-11 by the eventual winner Paul Sanchez-Lethem. He will shortly be ranked fifth in the Under-17 age group and has been chosen for the Cadet Potential Programme (CPP) by British Fencing - a scheme for the top six fencers in each weapon who have the potential to compete at next year’s World Cadet championships. Joe is on international duty in Poland next Thursday.
Sheffield Telegraph, 11 January 2008 (click image to enlarge)
Sheffield Telegraph, 14 December 2007 (click to enlarge)
The following article appreared
in the Sheffield Telegraph on 13 July 2007:
BUCCANEERING
Sheffield fencer Joe Littler has become the English under
15 Épée champion... by the narrowest of margins.
The 13 year old King Edwards secondary school pupil and
member of Sheffield Buccaneers Fencing Club fenced boys
from all over the country winning a nail-biting final
against David Stewart-Watson of Plymouth.
Joe won six out of seven fights in the first round,
to place him second overall at that stage to Stewart-Watson
from Plymouth, who won all his fights in the first round.
Joe knocked out James Ross 15-10 in the direct elimination
stage, then faced another Yorkshire fencer, Jamie Albert
of Harrogate in the semi-final.
Joe got revenge for a narrow defeat in his last bout
[in the first round] against Jamie as he won 15-13 with
a splendid final hit.
The final was closely fought with both fencers very
evenly matched, and at the end of time the score was
12 all.
In this circumstance, fencers fight for an extra minute
with any hit deciding the bout. Both fencers were poised
to take the title and scored a double hit. David attacked
very aggressively at Joe, who did a disengage riposte
and scored the winning point, 13-12 on extra time.
Joe started fencing four years ago and now fences at
Sheffield Buccaneers Fencing Club with coach Adam Blight.
Joe said "I've been training hard three or four times
a week for several months now. It was a tough day's
fencing and I'm really pleased that my hard work has
paid off".
Joe is one of the group of young fencers taking advantage
of the junior pathway funded money from the sports lottery
fund.
He is the fourth fencer from Sheffield Buccaneers Fencing
Club to have won a National Championship in recent years.
Latest
news
