Women's individual foil
World number one Arianna Errigo (ITA) won the individual foil world title in 2013 and 2014 and can become the second woman to win three consecutive titles in this event after Austria's Ellen Müller-Preis (1947, 1949, 1950). Errigo can become the fourth woman with at least three world titles in this event alongside Valentina Vezzali (ITA, 6), Cornelia Hanisch (GER, 3) and Müller-Preis (AUT, 3).
Valentina Vezzali is the most successful fencer ever at the world championships in either gender having won 15 gold medals in total (9 team foil, 6 individual foil). Vezzali has won most world titles in an individual event at the world championships with six gold medals in women's foil. Vezzali has also won five medals at the Olympic Games in the women's individual foil: 3 gold (2000, 2004, 2008), 1 silver (1996) and 1 bronze (2014).
Reigning Olympic and European champion in this event, Elisa Di Francisca (ITA) is currently ranked number two in the world and is one of three women with an Olympic, world and European championships gold medal in this event since 2000, alongside Laura Carlescu Badea (ROU) and Vezzali.
Italy is the most successful country in women's individual foil at the world championships having won 15 gold medals. Eight of the last nine world champions came from Italy, including the last four.
Twenty-one-year old Lee Kiefer (USA) became the second-youngest medallist at the world championships in this event in 2011, winning bronze aged 17 years and 118 days.
Ines Boubakri (TUN) became the first African woman with a medal at the world fencing championships in any event after winning bronze in the individual foil last year. She could become the first African fencer (man or woman) winning silver or gold in any event at the world championships.
Only four women have won the world title in individual foil on home soil: Italia's Valentina Vezzali in 2011 (Catania), Italy's Margherita Granbassi in 2006 (Turin), Soviet's Tatyana Samusenko in 1966 (Moscow) and Czechoslovakia's Marie Sedivá in 1938 (Piešťany) Inna Deriglazova (rank 6), Yulia Biryukova (10), Larisa Korobeynikova (11) and Aida Shanaeva (22) will try to achieve this feat in Moscow.
Men’s individual foil
Defending champion Alexey Cheremisinov (RUS) became the first Russian to be crowned world champion in this event in nearly 20 years as he won the men's individual foil in Kazan last year. Moscow-born Cheremisinov now has a chance to defend his crown in in his home town. Cheremisinov became the first Russian to be crowned world champion in this event in nearly 20 years. In 1995, Dimitri Shevshenko (RUS) became the first Russian world champion in this event. The year before, Miles Chamley-Watson (USA) had won the United States their first gold in this event.
Lei Sheng (CHN) is the reigning Olympic champion in this event. Chinese fencers have won eight medals in this event, but never a gold.
Peter Joppich (GER) will be vying for his fifth world title in this event, having previously won it in 2003, 2006, 2007 and 2010. He shares the mark of four world titles in this event with Christian D'Oriola (FRA). Only one fencer has won the men's individual foil on five occasions at the world championships, Aleksandr Romankov (URS). Joppich will be 32 years and 207 days old on 16 July. He could become the third oldest fencer to win a world title in this event.
Italy is the most successful country in the men's individual foil, having won 12 gold medals. Italy most recently won this event in 2011 when Andrea Cassara (ITA) emerged victorious. Italy have won more world championship medals in this event than any other country. Their harvest of 45 consists of 12 gold medals, 16 silver medals and 17 bronze medals.
All about World Fencing Championships Moscow 2015
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