PLYMOUTH fencers Corinna Lawrence and Toni Denham displayed a cutting edge finishing first and third, respectively, at the Milner-Barry Cup in London.

In addition to Lawrence's gold medal and Denham's bronze at the London International Open Épee event in Surrey, there were top-eight finishes for two more city fencers.

Olympic pentathlon silver medallist Heather Fell was seventh, one place ahead of her Plymouth Fencing Club team-mate Georgina Barrington, while another Lawrence – Corinna's elder sister Anneka – was 17th.

Corinna Lawrence, 20, and Fell were both runners-up at this year's Herald's Sports Personality Awards, held at the Pavilions on November 30.

Denham, meanwhile, is a financial beneficiary of the Herald's grassroots charity programme – Making a Difference.

Lawrence, who is juggling life as a London University undergraduate and fencing competition and training, admitted she had been pleased with her performances and to win the event.

"Next year I'm going to be concentrating on working towards the 2012 Olympics, which means I'll be competing pretty much solely on senior competitions," said Lawrence, who earlier this year won the British title.

"So, to show up well in the Milner-Barry Cup was really good news for me.

"And I beat three out of the five of us who were tipped to be possible winners of the event, so I'm very happy."

London University undergraduate Corinna Lawrence won the event three years ago.

And for Plymouth High School student Denham, her bronze was a result to savour.

More so, since in the team competition the 16-year-old and her fellow junior epéeists – Jacqualynne Bowers, of One Two Six, and Skipton's Molly Jowsey – Denham won a gold after the trio were unbeaten.

Denham said: "I was really pleased with my form and the progress made at the event. After the first wave, I was seeded second, having won all my poule fights and had a bye into the last 64.

"Then I won five out of six fights to get in the final 32 and then progressed right up through to the last four in the competition.

"It's very encouraging for me, as I beat some very good fencers and even scored a first-ever victory over Corinna – in the early stages."

Among Denham's victims were Italian Vanessa Pietrobon, whom she defeated 15-12, London Thames' Libby Payne, who fell to the Plymouth teenager 15-8.

In the quarter-finals, Denham defeated her city team-mate and Plymouth College student, Georgina Barrington 15-3, before bowing out 15-12 to number one seed Elisa Albini.

Denham was competing in the Lignano Junior A Grade at the weekend, where she was 83rd out of 105 competitors, before she heads to Grenoble for the European Challenge Cadet Women's Epée on December 13.

She will complete her pre-Christmas run of fixtures by competing at Millfield School, at Street in Somerset, in the Cadet Winton team event on the weekend of December 19-20.