There was disappointment for the north London fencing duo of Richard Kruse and James Davis after both were knocked out of the Olympics individual foil in their opening fights this lunchtime.

After the two competitors were given a bye through the first round, Finchley’s Kruse and Davis, from Edgware, were looking to secure a place in the last 16 of the event later this afternoon.

Kruse’s third Olympics was to end with a heavy 15-5 defeat to Russian opponent Artur Akhmatkhuzin, while Davis fared only marginally better, losing 15-10 to Germany’s Peter Joppich.

Kruse, who turned 29 yesterday, created history in his first Olympics in Athens in 2004 when he became the first British foilist to reach the quarter-finals since 1964.

Although he finished 14th in Beijing, Kruse has produced some fine results since, winning a World Cup gold in 2009 and claiming silvers in the European Championships and World Cup.

Barnet-born Davis is the youngest member of the Team GB fencing team, having celebrated his 21st birthday earlier this month, and he is the only Briton ever to win a medal at the European Cadet Championships, clinching a bronze in 2008.

The pair will hope to bounce back when they compete in the team foil on Sunday.