European fencers lead medal count at Cadet and Junior World Championships in Wuxi
The 2025 Junior and Cadet Fencing World Championships in Wuxi, China gathered more than 1,000 fencers from over 100 countries, all eager to claim a place among the sport’s most promising young talents. Held across nine days in a city that already hosted the 2018 Fencing World Championships, this year’s event confirmed that fencing is thriving globally — but that Europe still stands tall at the top of the podium.
Cadet Competitions: Rising European Stars
The cadet events highlighted impressive performances from young European fencers. Hungary's Lotti Horvath delivered a standout victory in women's epee, reinforcing her country's strong tradition in the weapon. Romania’s Amalia Covaliu captured gold in women’s sabre, continuing the family legacy. Elisei Pisarev, competing under the AIN banner, earned silver in men’s epee, while Italy’s Nicolo Sonnessa also secured a bronze, underscoring the Azzurri’s perennial presence on the podium. Alexandra Kravets of Israel added another bronze in epee, contributing to a European tally that reflected both geographical and stylistic diversity.
Although the USA dominated the gold medal count with four victories, Europe’s collective efforts brought home the highest overall medal count: 10 podium finishes across disciplines. That placed Europe firmly at the top in the final continental medal standings, followed by Asia & Oceania with 8 and America with 6.
FINAL MEDAL STANDINGS BY CONTINENT FOR CADETS
| Continent | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| Europe | 2 | 3 | 5 | 10 |
| Asia & Oceania | 0 | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| America | 4 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
Junior Competitions: Continental Supremacy
In the junior category, Europe’s depth truly came into its own. Italy had a particularly successful run, with Cosimo Bertini’s gold in men’s sabre leading a string of strong performances that culminated in team victories in both men’s epee and men’s foil. Ukraine continued to demonstrate strength in women’s epee, where their team triumphed in commanding fashion. Matilde Molinari’s silver in women’s foil added to Italy’s individual haul, while France, Poland, Hungary, and Romania each contributed valuable podium finishes, confirming the breadth of Europe’s talent pool.
Altogether, European fencers captured 5 gold, 9 silver, and 8 bronze medals in junior events—again leading the medal standings by continent. With 22 medals in total, Europe outpaced America and Asia & Oceania, both of which earned 9 medals each.
FINAL MEDAL STANDINGS BY CONTINENT FOR JUNIORS
| Continent | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| Europe | 5 | 9 | 8 | 22 |
| Asia & Oceania | 0 | 2 | 7 | 9 |
| America | 5 | 1 | 3 | 9 |
| Africa | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
This dual continental victory—across both cadet and junior levels—is a testament to the sustained investment and technical excellence within European fencing federations. It also highlights the remarkable development pathways from youth to elite sport that continue to bear fruit.
Next Stop: Tallinn U23 European Championships
As attention shifts to the upcoming U23 European Championships in Tallinn, anticipation is high for Europe’s young elite. Tallinn, a historic city with a strong fencing tradition of its own, is set to welcome the continent’s best U23 athletes—many of whom just made headlines in Wuxi. The event will serve as a crucial bridge between junior and senior success, offering a glimpse of Europe’s future Olympic hopefuls.
With momentum clearly in Europe’s favour and a new generation of fencers rising to the occasion, all eyes now turn to Tallinn for what promises to be another thrilling chapter in the European fencing story.
