Fencing is a combat sport that features sword fighting. The three disciplines of modern fencing are the foil, the épée, and the sabre ; each discipline uses a different kind of blade, which shares the same name, and employs its own rules. Most competitive fencers specialise in one discipline. The modern sport gained prominence near the end of the 19th century and is based on the traditional skill set of swordsmanship. The Italian school altered the historical European martial art of classical fencing, and the French school later refined that system. Scoring points in a fencing competition is done by making contact with an opponent.
Historical European martial arts (HEMA) are martial arts of European origin, particularly using arts formerly practised, but having since died out or evolved into very different forms.
The Fédération Internationale d'Escrime, commonly known by the acronym FIE, is the international governing body of Olympic fencing. Today, its head office is at the Maison du Sport International in Lausanne, Switzerland. The FIE is composed of 155 national federations, each of which is recognized by its country's Olympic Committee as the sole representative of Olympic-style fencing in that country.
The World Fencing Championships is an annual competition in fencing organized by the Fédération Internationale d'Escrime. Contestants may participate in foil, épée, and sabre events.
Olha Hennadiivna Kharlan, also known as Olga Kharlan, is a Ukrainian sabre fencer. She is a four-time individual women’s world sabre champion, six-time Olympic medalist and the most decorated Ukrainian Olympian in history. She has been ranked #1 in the world in women's sabre for five seasons: 2012-2013, 2013-2014, 2017-2018, 2019-2020 and 2020-2021.
The European Fencing Confederation is an international body created in 1991, charged with the promotion and development of fencing in Europe. It organises the European Fencing Championships annually at several levels: cadets (U17), junior (U20), under 23, seniors and veterans.
The European Fencing Championships is an annual top-level European fencing competition organized by the European Fencing Confederation.
Andrea Cassarà is an Italian left-handed foil fencer, two-time individual European champion, 2011 individual world champion, and three-time Olympics medalist.
Áron Szilágyi is a Hungarian right-handed sabre fencer. A four-time Olympian, Szilágyi is a three-time individual Olympic champion and 2021 team Olympic bronze medalist.
Rossella Fiamingo is an Italian left-handed épée fencer and two-time individual world champion. A three-time Olympian, Fiamingo is a 2021 and 2024 team Olympic bronze and Gold, respectively, medalist and 2016 individual Olympic silver medalist.
Yannick Borel is a French right-handed épée fencer.
Enzo Lefaible is a French right-handed foil fencer.
Larisa Viktorovna Korobeynikova is a Russian right-handed foil fencer, 2021 team Olympic champion, 2021 individual Olympic bronze medalist, three-time team world champion and two-time team European champion. She received the Medal of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" I class in 2012.
Asian Fencing Championships is the fencing zonal championship organized by the Asian Fencing Confederation for the Asia-Oceania zone. The first Asian Fencing Championships was held in 1973 in Tehran, however, fencing in the continent did not proceed actively enough. The tournament restarted in 1989 and it has been held annually since 2007. It awards points for the Fencing World Cup.
The fencing competitions at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo featured 12 events, the first time that both team and individual events have been held in all three weapons for both men and women.
Timur Marselevich Safin is a Russian right-handed foil fencer.
Julien Mertine is a French right-handed foil fencer, four-time team European champion, 2014 team world champion, and 2021 team Olympic champion.
Daniele Garozzo is an Italian right-handed foil fencer.
The Russian Fencing Federation is the governing body for the sport of fencing in Russia. It was created in 1992. FFR was formerly a member of the European Fencing Confederation, but its membership was suspended in 2023. It is a member of the Russian Olympic Committee. No Russian fencers will compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The Armenian Fencing Federation, also known as the Fencing Federation of Armenia, is the regulating body of fencing in Armenia, governed by the Armenian Olympic Committee. The headquarters of the federation is located in Yerevan.
Sergei Golubitsky (UKR)
Lorenzo Taddei (ITA)
Uwe Römer (GER)
Dmitriy Shevchenko (RUS)
Iván Kovács (HUN)
Andreas Kertesz (SWE)
Jean-Philippe Daurelle (FRA)
Reka Szabo (ROU)
Gianna Bürki (SUI)
Switzerland