Men’s Event
The reigning champion is Joe Choong (Great Britain). He is also a double world champion in 2022 and 2023 after winning silver in 2019. He has endured a bit of a horror 2024 and even before then, has shown that he is beatable. Giorgi Malan (Italy) beat him into second in the 2023 European Games. In the 2023 World Cup Final, Choong also came second, finishing behind Mohanad Shaban (Egypt). He won bronze in the 2023 World Championship and also won a 2023 World Cup event in Ankara. Compatriot Ahmed El-Gendy (Egypt) was just behind him in the 2023 World Championship, finishing fourth. He won bronze in 2021 after being the Olympic silver medalist in Tokyo. The bronze medalist was Jun Woong-tae (South Korea) and he is also the reigning World Championship bronze medalist. He won the World Cup Final in 2022 and the 2023 Asian Games. The Pan-American Games champion in 2023 was Emiliano Hernandez (Mexico). He was also the 2023 World Championship silver medalist and came third in the World Cup Final. Behind him, in fourth was Csaba Bohm (Hungary). He had finished third in the 2022 final when winning the overall World Cup. He then won the 2024 World Cup Final and became the World Champion. Behind him, winning silver was Balazs Szep (Hungary) who won bronze in the 2022 World Championship. Valentin Prades (France) was second at the 2024 World Cup Final and is also a former World Championship medalist, winning silver in 2018. Martin Vlach (Czech Republic) competed in Tokyo, finishing fifth. He did have two World Cup podiums in 2023. Taishu Sato (Japan) won silver in Sofia, ahead of Marvin Faly Dogue (Germany) who was fourth in the 2017 World Championship. Seo Chang-wan (South Korea) won the 2024 World Cup event in Ankara. Other potential contenders include Fabian Liebig (Germany), Jan Kuf (Czech Republic), Kamil Kasperczak (Poland) and Shaui Luo (China).
I would be very surprised if Choong can be competitive. He has spoken in opposition about the decisions of the governing body and retiring after the Olympics. He has not performed well this year and I think he can be ruled out. As always there will be some luck involved but some people have shown a consistent ability to put themselves in the frame. Egypt, Hungary and South Korea all have two potential contenders whilst Prades can surely do well at home. Shaban has been so good over the last 18 months. Bohm has won the big events this year after looking like someone who struggled to end up at the top of the podium last year. I think those two battle for gold whilst behind them Woong-tae can edge El-Gendy with Szep behind them.
🥇Mohanad Shaban 🇪🇬
🥈Csaba Bohm 🇭🇺
🥉Jun Woong-tae 🇰🇷
Women’s Event
Great Britain has won six medals in six editions of this. Britain’s stronger contender is Kerenza Bryson (Great Britain). She came third at the 2023 World Championship and also won the World Cup event in Sofia. They also have current Olympic champion Kate French (Great Britain) but her form is hard to know. The 2023 European Games winner was Alice Sotero (Italy). She was the fourth-place finisher in Tokyo and won silver at the 2023 World Championship. Compatriot Elena Micheli (Italy) is a double world champion, winning gold in 2022 and 2023. Another European Games medalist was Laura Heredia (Spain) who won silver in 2023. The Asian Games winner in 2023 was Zhang Mingyu (China) ahead of Kim Sun-woo (South Korea). Mayan Oliver (Mexico) was the Pan-American Games winner in 2023. Laura Asadauskaite (Lithuania) is a returning Olympic medalist, winning silver in Tokyo and gold in London. She also came fourth in the 2023 World Championships. Compatriot Gintare Venckauskaite (Lithuania) is also a danger, having won the 2024 World Cup Final. She was ahead of Mariya Gnedtchik (Belarus) who also won a World Cup event in Budapest. Blanka Guzi (Hungary) won in Sofia before taking silver in the 2024 World Championship. Seong Seung-Min (South Korea) won the world title after twice winning silver medals in World Cup events this year and finishing fourth in the final. Anastasiya Prokopenko (Belarus) is a double world champion who also won an Olympic bronze in 2008. Elodie Clouvel (France) won silver in 2016 and was the World Championship silver medalist in 2021. Ilke Ozyuksel (Turkey) was the bronze medalist in 2022 and also in the 2024 World Cup Final. Michelle Gulyas (Hungary) has also won medals in World Championships, bronze in 2021 and silver in 2022. She also won World Cup events in the last two years in Cairo. Marie Oteiza (France) won the 2023 World Cup Final and also bronze at the 2018 World Championship. The silver medalist in 2018 was Annika Schleu (Germany). Malak Ismail (Egypt) has two bronze medals from World Cup events earlier in the year. Compatriot Salma Abdelmaksoud (Egypt) was runner-up in the 2022 World Cup. She also had two bronze medals in 2023 and was a fourth-place finisher at the 2024 World Championship.
There is so much strength in depth here and it feels like so many contenders have the ability to medal. Clouvel has performed impressively in big events in recent years and at home will surely play a big role. Asadauskaite and Prokopenko are both probably past their best and I cannot predict them medalling here. If Britain continues to medal in this event, Bryson is likeliest. Gndetchik has looked strong this year but at her age, is it the next Olympics that will probably be the one for her? Seung-min is another young participant but she has been arguably more impressive this year. Gulyas and Guzi both have World Championship medals as well as strong form in the World Cup events. Micheli has been so strong in World Championship events in recent years and I think she has to be the favourite here.
🥇Elena Micheli 🇮🇹
🥈Michelle Gulyas 🇭🇺
🥉Elodie Clouvel 🇫🇷
Comments