The opening day of team competition at the Rio 2026 Junior & Cadet Fencing World Championships delivered high drama at the Carioca Arena as Russia captured the Junior Women’s Team Sabre title in a field of 33 nations. Under the intense Rio heat, the sixth-seeded Russian squad demonstrated remarkable depth and composure to navigate a challenging bracket and ultimately overcome a spirited Chinese comeback in the gold medal match.
The Russian championship lineup featured Mariia Tretiakova, Karina Tallada, Malena Kunasheva, and Aleksandra Mikhailova, who entered the team event fresh off winning the Junior individual silver medal earlier in the week. Russia's path to the podium began with a commanding 45-21 opening victory over Australia, followed by a disciplined 45-38 quarterfinal win against Germany. They reached the semi-finals by stunning the third-seeded Uzbekistan 45-18, eventually securing their place in the final by defeating Japan 45-28. Japan had reached the penultimate round after pulling off one of the tournament's biggest upsets by eliminating the second-seeded French team in the quarterfinals.
The final proved to be a classic encounter against fifth-seeded China, whose roster included Wang Chenyi, Gu Jirong, Li Wanxuan, and the sensational Pan Qimiao. China reached the final after a gruelling 45-44 semi-final victory over Hungary, who themselves had just eliminated the top-seeded United States by a single touch. In the gold medal match, Russia appeared to be in control with a 40-35 lead heading into the final relay. However, Pan Qimiao, already a double individual gold medallist at these championships, mounted a furious rally to level the score at 44-44. In the final exchange, Mikhailova regained her footing and launched a stunning attack to secure the 45-44 victory and the World title for Russia.
While the silver medal marked a narrow defeat for China, it solidified a historic performance for Pan Qimiao, who leaves Rio with three medals. The success of the Chinese Junior program continues a decade-long rise of Asian sabre fencing. Hungary rounded out the podium by claiming the bronze medal with a 45-39 victory over Japan. The Hungarian team, led by 2023 Cadet World Champion Emese Domonkos, showed great resilience after their narrow semi-final loss to secure the final spot on the medal stand alongside teammates Cenge Konya, Boglarka Komjathy, and Dorottya Csonka.
