WUXI, China, April 7, 2025 – Aleksandra Mikhailova (AIN) and Cosimo Bertini (ITA) won gold medals in junior women’s and men’s sabre on the opening day of the 2025 Wuxi, China Junior and Cadet Fencing World Championships. The competition is being held at the Wuxi Taihu International Expo Center, with a total of 1721 fencers – 19 percent more than last year’s Championships – from 100 countries entered for the 18 individual and team events taking place over nine days. Today’s junior individual sabre events included 140 women and 156 men competing.
In the opening ceremony, FIE Secretary-General Ms. Gulnora Saidova said, “Wuxi is the first major youth competition and World Championships following Paris 2024, which was a spectacular success for fencing and included participation by many young athletes. For some fencers who will compete here this week, this may be the beginning of their journey to future Olympic Games. You are the future of our great sport, and part of its continuing Olympic legacy.”
Ms. Wang Junyan, Vice President and Secretary-General of the Chinese Fencing Association, Deputy Director of the Cycling and Fencing Sport Managements Center of the General Administration of Sport of China, presented opening ceremony remarks, stating, “I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the trust of the International Fencing Federation and warmly welcome the young swordsmen participating in the competition worldwide. Wuxi, the ‘fencing city’, has won worldwide recognition for its profound sports heritage and excellent organizational skills.”
VIPs and dignitaries attending the Wuxi Junior and Cadet Fencing World Championships opening ceremony included FIE Executive Committee Vice Presidents Mr. Donald Anthony, Jr., Mr. Abdelmoneim El Husseiny and Ms. Henriette Tamas; member and Pan American Confederation President Mr. Vitaly Logvin; and members Mr. Nikolay Ivanov Mateev and Mr. Arno Perillier Schneider.
Chinese authorities and VIPs in attendance included Mr. Liu Tong, Deputy Director of Jiangsu Provincial Sports Bureau; Mr. Qin Yongxin, Vice Mayor of Wuxi Municipal People’s Government; Mr. Gu Wenlong, Deputy Secretary-General of Wuxi Municipal People’s Government; Ms. Chen Yi, Director of Wuxi Sports Bureau; Mr. Yang Yuhua, Party Secretary and Deputy Director of Wuxi Sports Bureau; and Mr. Shen Chen, Deputy Director of Wuxi Industrial Internet Research and Development Center; and Mr. Zhong Man, Chinese Olympic sabre champion.
Concluding the opening ceremony, Chinese Fencing Federation President and FIE Executive Committee member Mr. Haibin Wang declared the Championships officially open.
Mikhailova faced USA’s Alexandra Lee in the final bout of junior women’s individual sabre, winning with a 15-3 score. In the semifinal round, Lee won against China’s Qimiao Pan, 15-9, while Mikhailova defeated USA’s Magda Skarbonkiewicz, 15-12.
“I’m so happy, but I tried to save emotion for the team competition”, said Mikhailova. “I didn’t start well in the pools, but after each match I got better. And for the final, I gave all for the win.”
Bertini faced Romania’s Vlad Covaliu in the final bout of junior men’s individual sabre, winning with a 15-12 score. In the semifinal round, Covaliu won against Poland’s Benedykt Denkiewicz, 15-7, while Bertini defeated France’s Tom Couderc, 15-11.
“I’m like flying in the sky like 3,000 meters over the ground”, said Bertini. “It’s unbelievable because it is one of the dreams of my life. I started really well in the pools and I was really relaxed while fencing. It was an escalation of emotions and it ended in the best way.”
Final rankings in junior women’s individual sabre included Aleksandra Mikhailova (AIN, gold), Alexandra Lee (USA, silver), Qimiao Pan (CHN, bronze), Magda Skarbonkiewicz (USA, bronze), Summer Fay Sit (HKG), Mariella Viale (ITA), Xueyi Rao (CHN) and Gulistan Perdibaeva (UZB).
Final rankings in junior men’s individual sabre included Cosimo Bertini (ITA, gold), Vlad Covaliu (ROU, silver), Tom Couderc (FRA, bronze), Benedykt Denkiewicz (POL, bronze), Pavel Graudyn (AIN), Yassin Khodir (EGY), Zuhriddin Kodirov (UZB) and Moritz Schenkel (GER).
Complete and official results for these events may be found here on the FIE web site. For more exciting world fencing news and features, check out the YouTube FIE Fencing Channel. Find official photos from this and other events on the FIE Facebook page.