Romain Cannone will not be double world champion in the sword. The French lost in the semi-final of the Worlds organized in Milan, this Wednesday, against the local Davide di Veroli (15-5). The 21-year-old Italian prodigy, crowned European champion last month, is through to his first world final.

Olympic champion in 2021 in Tokyo, then world champion a year later in Cairo, the French swordsman is coming out of a more delicate season. The tricolor shooter nevertheless secured a second medal in two days for French fencing by reaching the last four. He had beaten Finland’s Niko Vuorinen 15-9 in the quarters.

Cannone was the last Frenchman in the running in Milan since the elimination in the round of 16 of the other headliner of the French sword, Yannick Borel, earlier on Wednesday.