Men's Individual Epee
Romain Cannone (France) is the reigning Olympic champion and has medalled at the World Championships since. He won gold in 2022 and bronze in 2023. Davide Di Veroli (Italy) beat him to make the final and was the 2023 European champion. It was Mate Tamas Koch (Hungary) who went on to be world champion. Compatriot Gergely Siklosi (Hungary) is a former world champion, winning in 2019 before taking Olympic silver. Andrea Santarelli (Italy) was fourth at the Tokyo Olympics. Ruben Limardo (Venezuela) has a gold from 2012 and despite being past his best won a Grand Prix event in 2022. Younger brother Francisco Limardo (Venezuela) made the World Championship quarter-final in 2023. Ruslan Kurbanov (Kazakhstan) lost in the semi-finals, improving from the quarter-final losses in 2019 and 2022. Another losing semi-finalist was Neisser Loyola (Belgium) who lost in 2022. Kazyyasu Minobe (Japan) won the 2019 World Cup before going onto a World Championship silver medal in 2022. Compatriot Koki Kano (Japan) is a double World Championship quarter-final and won both the 2022 Asian Championship and 2023 Asian Games. Yannick Borel (France) is a former world champion, winning in 2018 and then becoming European champion in 2022. He had a strong 2022, also winning World Cup events in Doha and Cairo. Yuval Shalom Frelich (Israel) won the 2024 Grand Prix event in Doha, beating Federico Vismara (Italy), the runner-up in the 2023 European Championship, in the final. Tristan Tulen (Netherlands) was the 2023 European Games winner after finishing runner-up in the 2022 European Championship. Luidgi Midelton (France) won the 2024 European Championship. Mohamed El-Sayed (Egypt) is another potential contender.
This is one of the harder events to predict medalists as in one-off events upsets can be fairly regular and the draw can pit the big names against one another. Siklosi would be my favourite based on his big event pedigree as well as his recent form. Out of the French team, I prefer Borel. Cannone is very hard to pick against but it feels hard to pick him over someone who has consistently performed well on the circuit, but I would not be shocked at all if he competes. Of the Italians, Di Veroli is a standout on his 2023 form despite a lack of 2024 form. I also think Kano has enough to be part of the final shake-up for medals and given the respective 2024 form, I will go for Kano to take bronze.
🥇Gergely Siklosi 🇭🇺
🥈Yannick Borel 🇫🇷
🥉Koki Kano 🇯🇵
Men's Team Epee
Japan are the defending Olympic champions and also won the World Cup in 2021. Their form has not quite reached the same levels since. Before that, France had won at three straight Olympics. They won world titles in 2017, 2019 and 2022 before narrowly missing out and only winning silver in 2023. They lost to Italy, who are the reigning World champions, improving on their silver in 2022. They also won the 2022 European Championships. Hungary were 2023 European Games winners but haven’t medalled over the recent World Championships despite their strength in depth. Winning bronze at the 2023 World Championship were Venezuela, led by the Limardo brothers. Kazakhstan was runner-up at the 2023 Asian Games and made the World Championship quarter-finals. The Czech Republic were also quarter-finals at the World Championship. Egypt has not made the quarter-finals since the 2017 World Championship.
Egypt and the Czech Republic are probably the two weaker teams but the other six should have chances, at least at bronze. France and Italy should be the finalists here with their impressive strength in depth. I would make France favourites despite Italy beating them at the last World Championship. Japan have a strong team and should be able to compete here. Venezuela and Kazakhstan have shown an ability to be competitive despite lacking the strength in depth that other nations seem to have. Based on that, I have to go with Japan to take bronze.
🥇France 🇫🇷
🥈Italy 🇮🇹
🥉Japan 🇯🇵
Men's Individual Foil
Cheung Ka-long (Hong Kong) won gold at the Tokyo Olympics and who won the 2022 Asian Championships. He also has a bronze from the 2022 World Championship before a quarter-final in 2023. The reigning world champion is Tommaso Marini (Italy) who improved on his 2022 bronze medal. Filippo Macchi (Italy) was the 2023 European Champion. Alexander Choupenitch (Czech Republic) was the other medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, winning bronze. The bronze medal winners at the 2023 World Championships were Kyosuke Matsuyama (Japan) and Enzo Lefort (France). Lefort is a double world champion with the second crown coming in 2022. A semi-final loser in 2022 before going on to win silver in 2023 was Nick Itkin (United States). Compatriots Alex Massialas (United States) and Gerek Meinhardt (United States) won the 2023 Grand Prix events in Shanghai and Turin respectively. Maxime Pauty (France) came second in the 2023 Grand Prix event in Busan with teammate Julien Mertine (France) a semi-finalist in Shanghai along with Daniel Dosa (Hungary), the former junior number one. Other competitors that will compete in this and the team event are Alaaeldin Abouelkassem (Egypt), Chen Haiwei (China), Kazumi Imura (Japan), Mo Ziwei (China) and Mohamed Hamza (Egypt).
The United States and Italy both have three fencers who would make sense on the podium. Lefort, Cheung and Matsuyama would be the likeliest other contenders. I think Itkin is my favourite of the Americans and will make the last four. Lefort will have the home support and I can see him making it along with one of the Italians. Marini seems to be the Italian who seems to be at his best and I think he also makes the medal places.
🥇Nick Itkin 🇺🇸
🥈Tommaso Marini 🇮🇹
🥉Enzo Lefort 🇫🇷
Men's Team Foil
At the last two Olympics, Russia and France faced off in the final with the United States winning bronze. France will defend their Tokyo Olympic title in front of a home crowd. They came third in the 2022 World Championship but lost in the 2033 quarter-finals. It was Japan who actually won the world title in 2023 adding to their Asian Championship in 2022. They beat China in the final of the World Championship. They lost in the final of the 2023 Asian Games. The United States won silver medals at the 2017, 2018 and 2022 World Championships as well as being world champions in 2019. Italy won the world title in 2017, 2018 and 2022 as well as holding both the European Games and European Championship. Poland was the bronze medalist in the 2022 European Championship and lost in the 2023 World Championship quarter-final. Egypt has been an Olympic quarter-finalist in Tokyo and also made the 2022 World Championship quarter-finals. As did Canada, who were runners-up to the United States in the 2023 Pan-American Games.
The draw will always be a key as avoiding the stronger teams for longer will obviously help. I would be very surprised if Canada, Egypt or Poland medalled but it only takes a couple of surprise performances to medal. I think Italy probably have the strongest squad along with the United States and that should be enough to take Italy to the gold medal. The bronze medal matchup should see France and Japan and I think France has the slightly stronger team, led by Lefort.
🥇Italy 🇮🇹
🥈United States 🇺🇸
🥉France 🇫🇷
Men's Individual Sabre
Aron Szilagyi (Hungary) made history when becoming the first man to win three gold medals in the same fencing discipline in Tokyo. Here, he bids for a fourth. His form has been solid since, winning the 2022 world title before winning bronze in 2023. Eli Dershwitz (United States) beat him in the semi-finals before taking gold to add to his 2018 bronze. He beat Sandro Bazadze (Georgia) in the final who is the reigning double European champion as well as winning the 2023 European Games. He won bronze at the 2022 World Championship and in Tokyo finished fourth. The other bronze medalist at the 2023 World Championship was Ziad El-Sissy (Egypt). The silver medalist in Tokyo was Luigi Samele (Italy). Oh Sang-uk (South Korea) won the 2019 world champion and was the Asian Games winner in 2023. Gu Bon-gil (South Korea) won the 2022 Asian Championship but lost to Sang-uk in the 2023 Asian Games final. Another former world champion who will be competing is Andras Szatmari (Hungary) who won in 2017 before winning silver in 2019. Maxime Pianfetti (France) won silver in 2022. Compatriot Sebastien Patrice (France) has made the competitive end of several tournaments including winning bronze at the 2023 European Games. Enver Yildirim (Turkey) was the 2023 European Champion. Colin Heathcock (United States), at only 18, won the 2024 Grand Prix in Tunis. Matyas Szabo (Germany) won last year in Nuoma. Michele Gallo (Italy) will be the other Italian fencer but he did make the 2023 World Championship quarter-finals.
Again here, there are a few countries with a couple of interesting participants. Szilyagi is the key name but I have to be against him winning another gold. I think he can medal, whilst teammate Szatmari has a similar chance. Dershwitz has an impressive pedigree whilst Heathcock looks like a future star but may not be ready to win a medal just yet. France and Italy are probably led by Pianfetti and Samele but I do not see either winning a medal. Of the Koreans, I have the most faith in Sang-uk. My gold medalist is going to be Bazadze. He has won in major tournaments and started 2024 well.
🥇Sandro Bazadze 🇬🇪
🥈Eli Dershwitz 🇺🇸
🥉Aron Szilyagi 🇭🇺
Men's Team Sabre
South Korea have taken the previous two gold medals whilst France took the two prior. South Korea have also dominated the World Championships, winning in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022 but could only take silver in 2023. It was Hungary who beat them then, improving on their second in 2017, 2019 and 2022. Italy won bronze in those years as well as a silver in the Tokyo Olympics. France is not quite the team of the past but they won the 2023 European Games and finished fourth in the World Championship. Beating them into the bronze medal were the United States. Canada was the Pan-American Games winner in 2023. Iran has a strong-ish record reaching four straight major tournament quarter finals between 2017 and 2020 and were bronze medalists at the 2022 Asian Championships. Egypt were World Championship quarter-finalists in 2022 and also made the Olympic quarter-finals in Tokyo.
It feels like a top five in this competition and two countries will be unfortunate enough to draw each other. United States are arguably the weakest but have Eli Dershwitz who could keep them in matchups. I would also point to France having a squad below the other trios potentially. I think Szilagyi might be desperate to get an Olympic team gold medal and complete his set. Based on that potential motivation I edge to Hungary to beat South Korea. Back in bronze, I think Italy are likeliest to take home the medal.
🥇Hungary 🇭🇺
🥈South Korea 🇰🇷
🥉Italy 🇮🇹
Women’s Individual Epee
Sun Yiwen (China) has medalled at the last two Olympics, winning bronze in Rio before taking gold in Tokyo. She also won bronze at the recent World Championships. She was beaten by Marie-Florence Candassamy (France) who went on to take gold having been showing good form in the Grand Prix events. The Italians enjoyed a strong World Championships. Alberta Santuccio (Italy) won silver with her teammate winning bronze. Giulia Rizzi (Italy) has been a runner-up in two grand prix events. Rossella Fiamingo (Italy) was the 2016 Olympic silver medalist and has shown herself to be competitive since. Vivian Kong (Hong Kong) lost in the quarter-finals at the last Olympics and World Championships. She is the Asian champion, with two previous World Championship bronze medals and a Grand Prix win in 2023. Choi In-jyeong (South Korea) won at the Asian Games in 2033 while compatriot Song Se-ra (South Korea) finished second after being the 2022 world champion. She beat Alexandra Ndolo (Kenya) in the final. Nathalie Moellhausen (Brazil) is another former world champion, winning in 2019 and also winning the 2023 Grand Prix in Qatar. Renata Knapik-Miazga (Poland) won the Grand Prix in Budapest in 2023. Compatriot Martyna Swatowska-Wenglarczyk (Poland) won medals in continental championships, it was bronze in the 2022 European Championship and silver in the 2023 European Games. Nelli Differt (Estonia) won bronze at the 2023 European Championship and was a quarter-finalist in the 2022 World Championship. Yu Sihan (China) and Zhu Mingye (China) will both compete in the team event and made the quarter-final of the 2022 World Championships.
This is a strong field with many potential winners. The Italians tend to be strong and I think their biggest contender is Santuccio. France has Candasammy and Marie who can both compete for medals. The other main contenders for me are Kong, Moellhausen, Se-ra and Yiwen. I think Kong can get a famous win here whilst Candassamy feels like a shoo-in to medal. Behind them, I think Moellhausen looks in a really good place but it wouldn’t shock me either if Se-ra won a medal.
🥇Vivian Kong 🇭🇰
🥈Marie-Florence Candassamy 🇫🇷
🥉Nathalie Moellhausen 🇧🇷
Women’s Team Epee
Estonia are the reigning Olympic champions but missed out on qualifying for Paris. In 2022, South Korea were both Asian and World champions. They could only win bronze in 2023 though. It was Poland who took gold, improving on their bronze from 2022. Italy would lose in both the 2022 and 2023 finals. France was the winner of the 2022 European Championship and the 2023 European Games. China finished fourth at the last Olympics and were 2019 World Champions but the unit seems to be on the decline. As are the United States who were the 2018 World champions. Ukraine has made the last two World Championship quarter-finals and was the bronze medalist at the 2022 European Championship. Egypt will likely be making up the numbers.
Again, it feels like two teams are quite unlikely to progress any further, in the United States and Egypt. I would expect the semi-finals to be between France, Italy, Poland and South Korea. Despite Poland being World Champions, I don’t think I can pick them over any of the other teams. Instead, South Korea grab bronze with the final coming down to France and Italy. I think France, with the support of the home crowd, can get the gold medal.
🥇France 🇫🇷
🥈Italy 🇮🇹
🥉South Korea 🇰🇷
Women’s Individual Foil
Italy failed to put a fencer on the podium at the Tokyo Olympics for the first time since 1988. Alice Volpi (Italy) came closest, losing in the bronze medal matchup. She is the 2018 and 2023 world champion. In the 2023 final she beat Arianna Errigo (Italy) who won silver for the second straight World Championship, having won bronze in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Lee Kiefer (United States) won bronze in 2022 and 2023 and is the reigning Olympic champion. Ysaora Thibus (France) was the 2022 world champion having won silver in 2018 and bronze in 2017. Martina Favaretto (Italy) may be the third Italian mentioned but she also is a World Championship medalist, winning bronze in 2023. She was also runner-up at the 2023 European Championship. Flora Pasztor (Hungary) was the runner-up at the 2023 European Games, losing in the final to Julia Walczyk-Klimaszyk (Poland). Malina Calugareanu (Romania) won bronze in the 2023 European Games before making the World Championship quarter-finals in 2023. The winner of the 2023 Asian Games was Huang Qianqian (China) who beat Yuka Ueno (Japan) in the final. She lost in the quarter-finals at the Tokyo Olympics as well as the 2019 and 2022 World Championships. Compatriot Sera Azuma (Japan) lost in the 2022 and 2023 World Championship quarter-finals after winning bronze at the 2022 Asian Championship. Anne Sauer (Germany) is a danger, having won the 2023 Grand Prix in Shanghai and making two semi-finals in 2024. Chen Qiangyung (China), Eleanor Harvey (Canada) and Lauren Scruggs (United States) will also expect to be competitive.
This feels like a big four of Errigo, Kiefer, Thibus and Volpi. Fencing is not necessarily an event where the top competitors prevail every time so it does feel like there has to be a surprise other name involved in the medal shakeup. Azuma, Harvey, Sauer and Ueon would be the group that I expect could break onto the podium. I will predict Errigo takes gold over Kiefer. For the bronze medal, I think Sauer can cause a bit of a surprise. As referenced if Volpi or Thibus win a medal it would not shock me one bit.
🥇Arianna Errigo 🇮🇹
🥈Lee Kiefer 🇺🇸
🥉Anne Sauer 🇩🇪
Women’s Team Foil
Again, Italy has medalled every Olympics since 1984 and has a strong contingent which has helped them to be the double reigning world champions. They beat France in the final and also beat them in the European Games and European Championships. Japan are the Asian champions and won bronze in 2023 improving from fourth in 2022 and quarter finals in the 2017, 2018 and 2019 World Championships. United States were champions in 2018 and won a silver medal in 2022. They could only finish fourth in 2023 but did win the Pan-American Games where they beat Canada. They have been in the last five World Championship quarter-finals and also made that stage in the Tokyo Olympics. China have made the last two quarter finals and was the Asian Games winner in 2023. Poland also has a strong record of making the quarter-finals in the World Championship, it has been three straight. Egypt made the quarter-finals in Tokyo but they haven’t done as well in World Championships.
This feels relatively straightforward. Four of the teams struggle to make it past the quarter-final stages in major tournaments. Italy looks to have the most depth but is also incredibly strong at the top end. I strongly favour them to win gold here. France and the United States have maybe got an individual fencer stronger than Japan but Japan will probably have the second and third-best fencer in any matchup. I think France can overcome both to win silver and I edge Japan to overcome the United States to win bronze.
🥇Italy 🇮🇹
🥈France 🇫🇷
🥉Japan 🇯🇵
Women’s Individual Sabre
Russian fencers have finished 1-2 at the last two Olympics but won’t compete here. Olha Kharlan (Ukraine) won bronze at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics and is perhaps one of the more famous fencers after finding herself disqualified in the 2023 World Championships for refusing to shake hands. That allowed Yoana Ilieva (Bulgaria) to progress and win bronze. Manon Brunet (France) won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics and has since won the European Championships, beating Sara Balzer (France) in the final. The favourite will likely be Misaki Emura (Japan) who is the reigning double world champion. Greece also has a strong set of fencers. Qualifying for the Greek team is arguably the fiercest battle in fencing. Theodora Gkountoura (Greece) won bronze at the 2019 and 2023 World Championships. She also has a bronze from the European Championship and European Games. Yoon Ji-Su (South Korea) was the Asian Games winner in 2023. Yang Hengyu (China) won bronze before going on to make the World Championship quarter-final in 2023. As did Martina Criscio (Italy), herself a bronze medalist in the 2023 European Championship. She also won the 2022 Grand Prix event in Nuoma. Compatriot Chiara Mormile (Italy) won bronze in Nuoma, as she did at the 2024 Grand Prox event in Tunis. That event was won by Lucia Martin-Portugues (Spain) after winning silver the year before. Cecilia Berder (France) and Anna Marton (Hungary) will both be competing in the team event and hope to make an impact here.
If sport was written, you would think that it would involve Kharlan finally taking a gold. Instead, I think she is a danger and will lose before the medal rounds. Brunet looks like the most likely of the French competitors. Elsewhere I think Balzer, Gkountoura and Martin-Portugues are the top European contenders whilst Emura and Hengyu are the Asian contenders. Emura has proven herself to be superb in major tournaments but when was the last time a fencer won three straight global completions? It feels unlikely that she can do it. It’s another tough selection, Emura has to be given respect to take a medal given her big event record. I think Martin-Portugues causes a shock by winning a medal and Gkountoura takes gold.
🥇Theodora Gkountoura 🇬🇷
🥈Lucia Martin-Portugues 🇪🇸
🥉Misaki Emura 🇯🇵
Women’s Team Sabre
Russia has won gold at the previous two Olympics but will not compete in Paris. In Tokyo, they beat the French team. France was also second in the 2019, 2022 and 2023 World Championships after taking gold in 2018. They also won the European Games and European Championships. In both of those finals, they beat Italy who were world champions in 2017. Hungary are the double reigning world champions despite arguably not having some of the stars that the other squads have. South Korea won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics and has medalled at four of the last five World Championships. They also won at the 2022 Asian Championships where they beat Japan in the final. They were the 2022 World Championship bronze medalist. The United States has reached the quarter-final stages at the last five World Championships and was the 2023 Pan-American Games winner. Ukraine have made four of the last five quarter-finals, advancing to the semi-finals in 2023, where they ended up finishing fourth. Algeria are probably making up the numbers.
This feels like one of the more open divisions with likely seven teams having the ability to medal. France are rightly favourites based on the fencers in the team but Hungary have shown their ability in team events. Japan and South Korea are also both strong and if the draw permits I think those four will make the semi-finals. Ultimately I think France can take gold. I would have Japan as the second-best team marginally with the pedigree of Hungary putting them in the bronze medal slot for me.
🥇France 🇫🇷
🥈Japan 🇯🇵
🥉Hungary 🇭🇺
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