He lost 15-9 to eventual winner and Olympic silver medallist, Yuki Ota from Japan.

Halsted, 25, had some impressive victories on his way to the top four, including beating Italy's world number three and Olympic medallist, Andrea Cassarra 15-14 and Poland's world number nine, Radoslaw Glonek 15-6.

Britain's national foil coach, Ziemek Wojciechowski, said: "Laurence Halsted broke the ice today and reached podium for the first time in a senior Grand Prix. 

"It was major break through for Halsted and I believe more results will follow.”

Meanwhile, Essex-based Chrystall Nicoll won her second World Cup bronze medal this month in Koblenz. 

She narrowly lost 15-14 to world number 24, Bogna Jozwiak, from Poland, who went on to win the tournament 15-13 against Tunisia's Azza Besbes.

Another solid performance from Nicoll, 23, means that she continues to climb the world rankings. 

She said: "The medal in Klagenfurt earlier this month has given me a lot of confidence and I now expect a lot more from myself. 

"Back-to-back podiums show that my intense training regime is paying off as I aim for a top 16 world ranking and automatic Olympic qualification.”

Both Louise Bond-Williams and Joanna Hutchison made top 16 finishes at the event, the latter narrowly losing out, 15-14, to top seed, Germany's Stefanie Kubissa.

Graham Watts, British Fencing’s Performance Director, said: "These two podium places bring a total of six medals won in this season to date - already a record for British fencing with several events still remaining.  

"It is particularly pleasing that these medals have been won by four separate athletes in three different disciplines showing that our progress is developing across the weapons."

British Fencing’s chief executive Piers Martin said: "The results are coming thick and fast and my congratulations go out to the fencers and their support teams."


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