Russian Federation's epee team coach Maria Mazina has expressed her disappointment at seeing competitor Anna Sivkova miss out on a medal at the European Games.
A slip-up in the ninth and last round at Crystal Hall this afternoon cost Sivkova in her bronze-medal meeting against Italy's Alberta Santuccio.
Mazina revealed afterwards that the 33-year-old was carrying an injury during the contest, while also admitting that she was perhaps unprepared for the big occasion.
"I can explain that with the fact that Anna is a strong athlete, but she is not ready at this point," the Russian boss told reporters. "She is not in a good shape now. She took a break from training and did not manage to get back in top shape.
"She also was injured. I thought she would be able to hold up for the team, but unfortunately she wasn't. This is very sad, but sport is sport. There are other competitions to come and she will prepare better."
Estonia take on Romania in the gold-medal match later this afternoon.
Daniel Lewis
