What to expect this week in fencing: Sabre and Epee world cups take global stage
With epee and sabre competitions stretching from Algeria to Switzerland and the UAE, the matchups promise a riveting week for fencing fans and athletes alike.
Fencing
In the week ahead, the international fencing community will turn its focus to three major cities: Oran, Algeria; Fujairah, United Arab Emirates; and Bern, Switzerland.
These cities will host the first post-Olympic FIE Senior World Cup events of the season, offering competitors in men's and women's individual and team sabre and epee disciplines a chance to claim coveted early-season victories and make their return statements following Paris 2024.
Read on to discover the schedule of events and what stories you won't want to miss as fencing returns to the world stage, swords swinging.
What are the differences between the foil, épée and sabre fencing disciplines?
Men's, Women's, and team Epee
Bern will host one of the most hotly-contested fields in these World Cups, with young talent taking center stage.
Leading the men’s charge is 26-year-old Koki Kano from Japan, fresh off his individual Olympic gold and team silver in Paris and eager to secure his third World Cup title. But Kano will have to get past a challenging field, including 21-year-old Mohamed Elsayed of Egypt, Paris 2024 bronze medalist and rising star with his sights set on disrupting Kano’s dominance.
Another top contender is Hungary’s Mate Tamas Koch, 2023 world champion and reigning Olympic team epee gold medalist. Koch is looking to redeem himself after an unexpected first-round exit in the individual competition in Paris and aims to cap his year with a long-awaited first World Cup victory, after two prior silvers.
Over in Fujairah, Koch's teammate, Hungary’s world-ranked number three and Paris Olympic bronze medalist Muhari Eszter, leads the women's individual epee. Her main challenger will likely be Italy’s Giulia Rizzi, world-ranked four and a member of the reigning Olympic champion epee team. Muhari narrowly defeated Rizzi in their sole prior meeting, but with Rizzi’s recent team success, who knows what their next match-up could bring.
Sabre's best head to Algeria
Meanwhile, Oran, Algeria, is gearing up to host the men’s, women’s, and team sabre competitions, and the local team is in full preparation mode to perform in front of the home crowd.
The women’s sabre event also promises intense matches, led by Spain’s top seed and four-time World Cup medalist Lucia Martin-Portugues. She faces strong competition from Greece’s Theodora Gkountoura and Despina Georgiadou, both of whom are world championship medalists aiming to climb the global rankings.
One look at the men’s star-studded sabre entry list is enough to keep fencing fans on their toes. The weapon is packed with star power, including Republic of Korea’s Oh Sanguk, the reigning individual and two-time team Olympic champion, sitting atop the world rankings and boasting four World Cup titles. The final could very well be a déjà vu of the Olympic final, as familiar rival in Tunisian Olympic silver medalist Fares Ferjani aims to turn the tables and claim a win over Oh.
But as fencing fans know, sabre is the weapon of the unexpected, and surprises are never far off...
This week in fencing: World Cup schedules
FIE Senior World Cup, Sabre
- Oran, Algeria
- 07-10 November 2024
- W Individual Sabre, M Individual Sabre, W Team Sabre, M Team Sabre
FIE Senior World Cup, Epee women
- Fujairah, United Arab Emirates
- 08-10 November 2024
- W Individual Epee, W Team Epee
FIE Senior World Cup, Epee men
- Bern, Switzerland
- 08-10 November 2024
- M Individual Epee, M Team Epee