Sam Weale clinches final spot

Sam Weale qualified for his first World Cup final of the season in Rio de Janeiro on Friday to boost his hopes of earning a place at the Olympic Games.

The 30-year-old from Yeovil has been troubled by injuries over the last couple of seasons and is playing catch-up against British team-mates Jamie Cooke and Nick Woodbridge for the two places available in London.

Weale made a poor start to the year in Charlotte last weekend by failing to make the final but he was in good form in Brazil and finished his semi-final in second place, comfortably inside the top-12 target.

Woodbridge, who was sixth in Charlotte, impressed again and easily came through semi-final A in third place but Cooke, the only British man so far to have achieved the Olympic qualifying standard, missed out.

The 21-year-old from Cheltenham finished last in the final last weekend and it was again his fencing that let him down as he could only manage 22nd, the same position as the fourth British entrant, Steven Mason, in semi-final C.

Weale and Woodbridge will return to action on Sunday while on Saturday British quartet Heather Fell, Mhairi Spence, Freyja Prentice and Katy Livingston compete in the women's final.

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