As we approach the Paris 2024 Olympics, I’m excited to bring you a series of posts introducing the top fencers in each discipline: Men’s Epee, Women’s Epee, Men’s and Women’s Foil, and Men’s and Women’s Sabre. Why am I doing this? Simple – I want to give newcomers to the sport a quick, engaging snapshot of the athletes they’ll be watching. Whether you’re a fencing aficionado or just tuning in for the Olympic spectacle, knowing the stories behind these incredible athletes will enhance your viewing experience tenfold.

Now, before we dive in, let me tell you something magical about Olympic fencing – it’s beautifully unpredictable. Sure, we have our favorites and top-ranked fencers, but the Olympics have a way of turning unknowns into overnight sensations. Remember Romain Cannone? He wasn’t even supposed to be at the Tokyo Games, and he walked away with gold! So, while we’ll focus on the big names, there are many newbies who might shock the world.

This article covers Men’s Épée. We will then cover five other disciplines in separate installments: Women’s Epee, Men’s Foil, Women’s Foil, Men’s Sabre, and Women’s Sabre. You can also learn more about Olympic Fencing in our “Ultimate Guide to Olympic Fencing.”

One important note about the fencers below: their results below are from individual competitions, and they represented their national teams in multiple events, such as World Cups, Zonal Championships, World Championships, and Olympic Games.

Here are some of the stars you’ll want to watch:

1. Gergely Siklósi (Hungary) – World Rank: 1

At just 26, Siklósi is the current world No. 1, and boy, does he live up to the ranking. This right-handed fencing phenomenon from Hungary is a force to be reckoned with.

Key Achievements:

• Silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
• Gold at the 2019 World Championships in Budapest at the age of 21, making him one of the youngest epee fencers ever to win the World title
• Gold in the team event at the 2023 European Championships
• Multiple World Cup and Grand Prix victories

What makes Siklósi special is his ability to perform under pressure. He’s proven time and again that he can bring his A-game when it matters most. Will he upgrade that Olympic silver to gold in Paris? Many are betting he will. I’m personally sure he will bring home a medal. Being a personal friend of mine, he’s one of the fencers I definitely will root for.

2. Mate Tamas Koch (Hungary) – World Rank: 2

Another Hungarian in the top ranks? You bet! Koch, at 24, is part of the new wave of fencing talent.

Key Achievements:

• 2023 World Champion
• Multiple podium finishes in World Cups and Grand Prix events

Koch is known for his unique technique. It might look strange, but it’s devastatingly effective. He’s the kind of fencer that keeps his opponents guessing – and often guessing wrong.

3. Koki Kano (Japan) – World Rank: 3

At 26, Koki Kano has emerged as Japan’s épée sensation and a major force on the international stage. It’s always fun to watch his fencing.

Key Achievements:

• Gold medal in team épée at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
• Silver medal in individual épée at the 2022 World Championships
• Multiple World Cup and Grand Prix medals

Kano’s rise to prominence culminated in a historic team gold for Japan at their home Olympics in Tokyo, where Kano played a crucial role as a team anchor, winning the most important quarter-final match against France with 1 point only and advancing Japan to the medal round. This was Japan’s first-ever fencing gold medal, marking a new era for Asian fencing. His individual silver at the 2022 World Championships proved that he’s not just a team player but a formidable individual competitor as well.

Kano is known for his explosive speed and precise point control. His rapid changes of rhythm often catch opponents off-guard.

As the reigning Olympic team champion, Kano carries Japan’s hopes on his shoulders. Can he add an individual Olympic medal to his team gold? With his current form and trajectory, Kano is definitely one of the main athletes to watch in Paris.

4. Davide Di Veroli (Italy) – World Rank: 4

At just 22, Di Veroli is the baby of the top-ranked bunch, but don’t let his age fool you. This left-handed Italian prodigy has been making waves in the senior circuit, and he is a key team player in the Italian team in all team events, often taking a crucial anchor role in team matches.

Key Achievements:

• Silver at the 2023 World Championships
• Gold at the 2023 European Championships
• Multiple World Cup and Grand Prix medals

Di Veroli’s youth and recent successes make him a formidable contender. Could we see an Italian resurgence in Men’s Épée at these Olympics?

5. Frederico Vismara (Italy) – World Rank: 5

At 26, Vismara is another part of the strong Italian épée contingent, consistently performing at the highest level.

Key Achievements:

• Silver medal at the 2023 European Championships
• Multiple World Cup and Grand Prix medals
• Part of Italy’s épée team in almost every team competition

Vismara’s right-handed technique and recent form suggest he could be a dark horse for individual success in Paris.

6. Yannick Borel (France) – World Rank: 6

Standing at 1.95m (6’5″), Borel is a towering presence on the piste in his statue and as a dominant fencer. At 35, he’s one of the most experienced fencers in the field.

Key Achievements:

• 2016 Olympic Team Champion
• 2018 Individual World Champion
• Four-time Individual European Champion

Borel will compete on home soil in Paris after recovering from an injury he sustained at the European Championship warmups a few weeks ago. Could the home crowd advantage propel him to individual Olympic glory?

7. Romain Cannone (France) – World Rank: 7

Ah, Romain Cannone – the fairy tale of Tokyo 2020. This 27-year-old wasn’t even supposed to be at the last Olympics, but ended up winning gold in spectacular fashion.

Key Achievements:

• 2020 (2021) Olympic Champion
• 2022 World Champion
• Winner and medalist of many World Cups

Cannone proved that anything can happen in Olympic fencing, and he is definitely a big-stage player. He’ll be looking to defend his title in Paris, but can lightning strike twice?

8. Yuval Freilich (Israel) – World Rank: 8

At 29, Freilich has been making waves in the épée world, representing Israel with distinction and breaking country records time and again. He was first ever Israeli to win Junior European titles, then becoming World #1 ranked fencer, then first ever to win Senior European title, then Grand Prix. Now Yuval is also the first ever male epee fencer to participate in the Olympics for Israel, and he is known to pull surprise wins in the most unexpected settings.

Key Achievements:

• Gold medal at the 2019 European Fencing Championships
• Gold medal at the 2024 Epee Grand Prix in Qatar
• Silver team medal at the 2022 European Fencing Championships

Being quite short and left-handed, Freilich developed a fencing style with great footwork and a lot of blade action and recent successes make him a serious contender for Olympic glory. Could he bring Israel its first Olympic fencing medal? As Yuval’s friend, I definitely hope so and will root for him.

9. Ruslan Kurbanov (Kazakhstan) – World Rank: 12

Standing at just 1.70m (5’7″), Kurbanov, like Freilich, proves that in épée, size isn’t everything.

Key Achievements:

• Bronze at the 2023 World Championships
• Multiple Asian Games and Asian Championships medals

Kurbanov’s agility and creative fencing style make him a joy to watch and a nightmare to fence against.

10. Rubén Limardo (Venezuela) – World Rank: 19

At 38, Limardo is a true veteran of the sport and a fencing icon in South America.

Key Achievements:

• 2012 Olympic Champion
• Multiple-time Pan American Champion
• Three-time Olympian

Limardo’s left-handed style and experience make him a dangerous opponent. Can he recapture the magic of London 2012 in Paris?

11. Neisser Loyola (Belgium) – World Rank: 22

At 25, Loyola has already made history for Belgian fencing and shows no signs of slowing down.

Key Achievements:

• Bronze medal at the 2022 World Fencing Championships (Belgium’s first in over 70 years)
• Silver medal at the 2024 World Cup in Georgia
• Silver medal at the 2023 Grand Prix in Qatar

Loyola’s rapid rise and ability to perform on the big stage make him an exciting prospect for the Olympics.

Rising Star to Watch: Nicholas Zhang (Canada) – World Rank: 87

At just 18, Zhang is one of the youngest fencers (the youngest one is his teammate in Women’s Epee) to qualify for the Olympics, representing an exciting future for Canadian fencing. While mostly unknown in the senior circuit, Nick is very well known here in the United States for his constant high-level finishes in every category he has participated in since he was a young boy.

Key Achievements:

• Silver medal at the 2023 Pan American Fencing Championships
• Won the Pan American Zonal Qualification tournament for Olympic qualification in a surprising and for some controversial upset of Brazilian’s Alexandre Camargo.
• 5th place at the 2023 Junior World Championships

While Zhang’s senior world ranking is still developing, his success at junior levels and in continental competitions marks him as a potential surprise package in Paris.

These fencers represent the incredible depth and diversity of talent in men’s épée fencing. From seasoned veterans to young prodigies, left-handers and right-handers, tall fencers, and more compact ones – the Olympic épée competition promises to be a showcase of varied styles and strategies.

Men’s Epee Team Event

Eight nations will compete in the team event in every discipline. This is because the host nation, France, qualified via the regular route in each discipline and thus doesn’t need to use its additional quota to add its team to be ninth. Here’s a breakdown based on team performance in the 2023-2024 season:

1. France

France, ranked #1 in the World, has been dominant, winning gold at the European Championships in Basel and silver at the World Championships in Milan. The Olympic Champion from Rio 2016, France features a lineup of two Olympic Champions (Borel 2016 in Teams and Cannone 2021 Individual) plus reigning European Champion Luigi Midleton. France consistently has strong World Cup performances, often making podium finishes. Traditionally one of the strongest epee teams in the world in Men’s Epee (well, the name of the sword came from French Épée), France is always one of the top contenders: in the last five Olympic Games, France was 3 times champions and 1 time Silver. Each time they missed the Gold medal was when they lost to the eventual Olympic Champion – in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, they lost in the Final to Italy, and in 2021 Tokyo, they lost in the Quarterfinal to the eventual Champion – Japan. France also won the title most of any other country in the history of the Olympic Games – 9 times.

2. Italy

Italy (World Rank: 2) Italy claimed gold at the World Championships in Milan, showcasing its strength. The team lineup for the Olympic Games will be the same. However, its performance dipped at the European Championships, finishing with a silver (by itself, this result is fantastic, but the final match against France was something to forget). Italy last won Olympic Gold in the 20th century in the 1996 Atlanta Games, and now their eyes are on Gold in Paris. I hope they learned their lessons from the last competition. If Italy wins the title, they will tie with France for the number of times the country stood at the top of the Olympic Podium in men’s epee team event.

3. Japan

Japan (World Rank: 3) The reigning Olympic champions surprised everybody in Tokyo, where they competed using their quota as a host country. The same team is supposed to fence in Paris with more experience under their belt. And there is nothing more desirable for them than to repeat their success. Japan is the only country in this Olympics that medaled in Tokyo – the other two countries, Russia and Korea, do not participate in these Games, which I believe will put even greater pressure on this team.

4. Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan (World Rank: 4) Kazakhstan has been the surprise of the season. They won gold at the Asian Championships in June, a significant upset celebrated in their country as a fantastic achievement. No wonder – the Asia continent became very competitive in this century in epee, with several countries aiming for the World’s top results. Kazakhstan’s consistent top-8 finishes in World Cups have contributed to their rise in rankings. A lot of their success can be attributed to their national coach, Hungarian Ferenc Toth, who definitely created a team to perform at the highest level.

5. Hungary

Hungary (World Rank: 5) Hungary is one of the undeniable leaders to win the Gold at these Olympics, and its roster is spectacular – young but experienced and eager to prove themselves on the World’s largest stage. The legendary team of Hungarians who won Bronze in Rio had retired long ago, and this new generation of fantastic fencers is eager to take their place in history.

6. Venezuela

Venezuela (World Rank: 6) While Venezuela has never been at the top of the podium, it has shown some remarkable results recently, with the highest one being the Bronze medal at the World Championship in Milan 2023. If we talk about chemistry in any team, Venezuela is arguably the most unified team in this competition, featuring three brothers Limardo—Ruben, Francisco, and Jesus. Ruben is one of the elite epee fencers on the planet and the Olympic Champion from London 2012. 

7. Czech Republic

Czech Republic (World Rank: 7) The Czech team has been quietly accumulating points to qualify for the Olympic Games. Their most impressive finish was winning silver at the Tbilisi World Cup earlier this year, and their consistent performance helped them win the most difficult European spot through a regular qualification path. The Czech team features the most experienced fencer on the circuit, Jiri Beran, 42, whose career spans 25 years and who has won many international medals. 

8. Egypt

Egypt (World Rank: 9) Egypt has been making strides in men’s épée. While they didn’t medal at the World Championships, they won gold at the African Championships, demonstrating their continental dominance. They have a very good roster of fencers, and now, with the help of the world-renowned and ambitious Sandro Cuomo from Italy, an Olympic Champion from Atlanta, they definitely woud like to make history.

Men’s Epee Complete Roster

Men’s Epee Teams and Individual

France: Romain Cannone, Janick Borel, Luidgi Midelton, Paul Allegre (Team Alternate only)

Italy: Davide Di Veroli, Andrea Santarelli, Federico Vismara, Gabriele Cimini (Team Alternate only)

Japan: Koki Kano, Kazuyasu Minobe, Masuru Yamada, Akira Komata (Team Alternate only)

Hungary: Gergely Siklosi, Mate Tamas Koch, Tibor Andrasfi, David Nagy (Team Alternate only)

Kazakhstan: Ruslan Kurbanov, Elmir Alimzhanov, Vadim Sharlaimov, Yerlik Sertay (Team Alternate only)

Venezuela: Ruben Limardo Gascon, Francisco Limardo, Grabiel Lugo, Jesus Limardo (Team Alternate only)

Czech Republic: Jiri Beran, Jakub Jurka, Martin Rubes, Michal Cupr (Team Alternate only)

Egypt: Mohamed Elsayed, Mohamed Yasseen, Mahmoud Mohsen, Ahmed Elsayed (Team Alternate only)

Men’s Epee Individual Only

Zijie Wang (China), Jaewon Kim (Korea), Houssam Elkord (Morocco), John Edison Rodrigues (Colombia), Yuval Freilich (Israel), Neisser Loyola (Belgium), Wai Hang Ho (Hong Kong), Harry Saner (South Africa), Nicholas Zhang (Canada), Tristan Tulen (Holland), Alexis Bayard (Switzerland)

Total in the Men’s Epee Individual event there 35 fencers, and in Team event there are 8 teams

Remember, in épée, a single touch can change everything. The unpredictable nature of this fencing discipline, and men’s epee in particular, combined with the pressure of the Olympic stage, means that every bout has the potential for drama and upset. Who will rise to the occasion in Paris? We’ll have to wait and see, but one thing’s for sure – it’s going to be electrifying!

To learn more about Olympic Fencing, read our comprehensive guide here. To expand your knowledge of key players in other disciplines, read our special editions on Women’s Epee, Men’s Foil, Women’s Foil, Men’s Sabre, and Women’s Sabre.

Image: Serge Timacheff/FIE

Special shoutout to Adam Chirashnya for his help with this series.