ITKIN Nick

Personal Information

Residence Los Angeles, CA, USA

Occupation Athlete

Languages English, Russian

Higher education Business, Political Science - University of Notre Dame: United States

License number 09101999000

Club

Upcoming Events

Sport Specific Information

When and where did you begin this sport? He began fencing at age seven.

Why this sport? "My father is a fencing coach and he introduced the sport to me when I was about seven. I love this sport more than anything, my life revolves around fencing. There is no better feeling than overplaying my opponent and scoring a nice touch."

Club / Team Los Angeles International Fencing Center: United States

Name of coach Misha Itkin [club, father]; Igor Zapozdaev [club]; Greg Massialas [national], USA

Handedness Right

General Interest

Hobbies Athletics, economics, politics. (usafencing.org, 01 Apr 2019)

Hero / Idol Italian fencer Andrea Baldini, US basketball player LeBron James. (usafencing.org, 06 Apr 2021)

Injuries He injured the hamstring muscle in his right leg while competing at a World Cup event in 2023. (teamusa.com, 27 Mar 2024)

Awards and honours While at the University of Notre Dame in the United States of America, he was named the 2018 Atlantic Coast Conference [ACC] Men's Foil Fencer of the Year. (theacc.com, 11 Apr 2019)

Famous relatives His father Misha was a professional fencer in Ukraine and co-founded the Los Angeles International Fencing Center in the United States of America. His mother Tatyana and his grandmother competed in gymnastics at national level in Ukraine. His sister Julia competed in rhythmic gymnastics at national level in the United States of America. (voyagela.com, 06 Feb 2023; und.com, 07 Jun 2018; teamusa.com, 27 Mar 2024; usagym.org, 2006)

Ambitions To win gold at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and to compete at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles. (teamusa.com, 27 Mar 2024)

Other information FATHER'S INFLUENCE
He was introduced to the sport by his father Misha, who has also served as his coach. "I am really lucky to have this relationship with my father where he is my coach and my father. He wants it as much as I do. On the side of the strip, his emotion is just so strong and that helps me and encourages me, and it hypes me up. I started working with him when I was seven years old and he's been with me ever since. He's originally from Ukraine and we speak Russian together. It's pretty funny as he always coaches me in Russian unless my opponent is Russian, then he coaches me in English." (fie.org, 06 Feb 2020)

DUAL CITIZENSHIP
He is eligible to compete for Ukraine through his parents. "I knew it was possible [to represent Ukraine] if I wanted to, but I never acted on it. I enjoyed competing for the US and always had the dream of being on the US national team." (Sportbite Fencing, 09 Jan 2021)

PROMOTING THE SPORT
He has held fencing clinics for children in the United States of America with the aim of promoting the sport to a new generation. "We need the young generation to put our sport on the map. One of my future goals is to make fencing more open to all communities as I think that is one of the limiting factors of our sport. My goal is for a kid to tell his classmates I want to be a fencer and not be embarrassed by it. As a kid everyone wants to be a basketball, football, or baseball player. That's what everyone looks up to and sees on TV everyday. When people picture fencing they think of movies like Pirates of the Caribbean. I want to change that narrative and have people know and respect the sport. It is incredibly competitive and athletic. So many kids stop or don't start fencing because they don't see it in the public eye. That's why I want to portray a different image of fencing to the younger generation." (canvasrebel.com, 07 Dec 2023)