What to expect this week in fencing: Sabre and Epee world cups take global stage

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.