LAUSANNE, Switz., Nov. 6-9, 2025 – Two International Fencing World Cups took place this weekend in Palma and Algiers in foil and sabre, opening the 2025-2026 FIE Senior World Cup competition season.
Palma de Mallorca, Spain Women’s and Men’s Foil World Cup
Italy’s Martina Favaretto and Czechia’s Alexander Choupenitch won individual gold medals at the Palma Women’s and Men’s Foil World Cup, and Italy and the _AIN team won the women’s and men’s team golds. The event took place at the Polideportivo Rudy Fernández and finals were held at the Carrer de Felicià Fuster, with 213 women and 248 men participating in individual foil as well as 22 and 27 women’s and men’s teams competing.
Favaretto faced Japan’s Yuka Ueno in the final bout of women’s individual foil, winning with a 15-9 score. In the semifinal round, Ueno won against teammate Komaki Kikuchi, 15-12, while Favaretto defeated Canada’s Eleanor Harvey, 15-10. Of note, in the round of 16, Italy’s Martina Singalia beat teammate and two-time world champion Arianna Errigo, 15-10; in the round of 32, Italy’s Carlotta Ferrari won against the USA’s world and two-time Olympic champion Lee Kiefer, 15-13, and the USA’s Josephine Conway defeated France’s world champion Ysaora Thibus, 14-13.
Choupenitch faced Hungary’s Gergo Szemes in the final bout of men’s individual foil, winning with a 15-10 score. In the semifinal round, Szemes won against Italy’s Guillaume Bianchi, 15-11, while Choupenitch defeated Italy’s Tommaso Martini, 15-4. Of note, in the round of 16, Choupenitch beat Italy’s world champion Alessio Foconi, 15-7, and in the round of 32, Italy’s Edoardo Luperi won against teammate and world champion Tommaso Marini, 15-12.
Italy faced the USA in the final match of women’s team foil, winning with a 45-32 score. In the semifinal round, the USA won against France, 44-43, while Italy defeated Japan, 42-26. The bronze medal went to France over Japan, 35-34.
The _AIN team faced Italy in the final match of men’s team foil, winning with a 45-36 score. In the semifinal round, Italy won against Germany, 45-27, while the _AIN team defeated Hungary, 45-29. The bronze medal went to Hungary over Germany, 45-20.
Final results in women’s individual foil included Martina Favaretto (ITA, gold), Yuka Ueno (JPN, silver), Eleanor Harvey (CAN, bronze), Komaki Kikuchi (JPN, bronze), Pauline Ranvier (FRA), Anne Kleibrink (GER), Marta Martyanova (_AIN) and Martina Sinigalia (ITA).
Final results in men’s individual foil included Alexander Choupenitch (CZE, gold), Gergo Szemes (HUN, silver), Guillaume Bianchi (ITA, bronze), Tommaso Martini (ITA, bronze), Chih Chieh Chen (TPE), Edoardo Luperi (ITA), Marcello Olivares (USA) and Anton Borodachev (_AIN).
Final results in women’s team foil included Italy (gold), USA (silver), France (bronze), Japan, Ukraine, Canada, Republic of Korea and China.
Final results in men’s team foil included _AIN (gold), Italy (silver), Hungary (bronze), Germany, Hong Kong-China, USA, Japan and Belgium.
Algiers, Algeria Women’s and Men’s Sabre World Cup
The Republic of Korea’s Hayoung Jeon and the USA’s Colin Heathcock won individual gold medals at the Algiers Women’s and Men’s Sabre World Cup, and the Republic of Korea and France won the women’s and men’s team golds. The event took place at La Couple d’Alger, with 164 women and 203 men participating in individual sabre as well as 24 and 27 women’s and men’s teams competing.
Jeon faced Hungary’s Sugar Katinka Battai in the final bout of women’s individual sabre, winning with a 15-12 score. In the semifinal round, Battai won against Bulgaria’s Yoana Ilieva, 15-14, while Jeon defeated Alina Mikhailova (_AIN), 15-7. Of note, in the round of 32, Ilieva beat Olympic and World Champion Sofia Pozdniakova (_AIN), 15-5, while Hungary’s Renata Katona won against France’s Olympic champion Manon Apithy, 15-6.
Heathcock faced Tunisia’s Fares Ferjani in the final bout of men’s individual sabre, winning with a 15-12 score. In the semifinal round, Ferjani won against the Republic of Korea’s world and Olympic champion Sanguk Oh, 15-14, while Heathcock defeated France’s Sebastien Patrice, 15-14.
The Republic of Korea faced Hungary in the final match of women’s team sabre, winning with a 45-39 score. In the semifinal round, Hungary won against China, 45-39, while the Republic of Korea defeated France, 45-43. The bronze medal went to France over China, 45-43.
France faced Romania in the final match of men’s team sabre, winning with a 45-38 score. In the semifinal round, Romania won against Japan, 45-40, while France defeated the _AIN team, 45-27. The bronze medal went to Japan over the _AIN team, 45-32.
Final results in women’s individual sabre included Hayoung Jeon (KOR, gold), Sugar Katinka Battai (HUN, silver), Alina Mikhailova (_AIN, bronze), Yoana Ilieva (BUL, bronze), Despina Georgiadou (GRE), Lucia Martin-Portugues (ESP), Nisanur Erbil (TÜR) and Olga Nikitina (_AIN).
Final results in men’s individual sabre included Colin Heathcock (USA, gold), Fares Ferjani (TUN, silver), Sanguk Oh (KOR, bronze), Sebastien Patrice (FRA, bronze), Gyeongdong Do (KOR), Maxime Pianfetti (FRA), Vlad Covaliu (ROU) and Musa Aymuratov (UZB).
Final results in women’s team sabre included Republic of Korea (gold), Hungary (silver), France (bronze), China, Ukraine, Japan, Spain and Germany.
Final results in men’s team sabre included France (gold), Romania (silver), Japan (bronze), _AIN, Uzbekistan, Republic of Korea, Germany and USA.
Complete and official results for these events may be found here on the FIE web site. For more exciting world fencing news, videos and features, check out FencingTV.com and the YouTube FIE Fencing Channel. Find official photos from this and other events on the FIE Facebook page.