LEIPZIG, Germany, July 24, 2017—The fifth day of finals competition takes place Tuesday, July 25 in Leipzig, Germany at the 2017 World Fencing Championships, featuring Men’s Team Epee and Women’s Team Sabre. Two new world champion teams will be named, in the first World Fencing Championships since the 2016 Rio Summer Olympic Games.
Here are some important notes and historical background on the athletes, teams and these events:
- Men’s Team Epee
o After France won six consecutive world titles in men's team epee between 2005 and 2011, the last four world titles in this event have been won by four countries: United States (2012), Hungary (2013), France (2014) and Ukraine (2015).
o The last time the men's team epee event was won by more different teams in a row was in 1991-1998: Soviet Union, Italy, France, Germany, Cuba, Hungary.
o Ukraine can become the first country other than France to win consecutive world titles in men's team epee since Italy in 1989-1990.
o Each of the last three teams that won the world title in Men's Team Epee had an average individual athlete age of 30+ years old, since United States won in 2012 (29 years).
o In total, France has won more world titles (18) and claimed more medals (37) in men's team epee than any other country.
o France has won nine of the last 14 Men's Team Epee events at the World Championships. Only Hungary won multiple world titles in this span (2).
o Italy has won a second-most 11 gold medals in Men's Team Epee but it has not won this event in 24 years (18 world championships). Since their last win in 1993, Italy only claimed a silver medal in 2007 and a bronze medal in 1997. Italy had one longer stint without a gold medal in Men's Team Epee, without winning the event at 22 consecutive World Championships between 1959-1987.
o Korea claimed second place in Men's Team Epee at each of the last two World Championships. The last team to take a silver medal in this event at three world championships in a row was France, in 1990-1993.
o Switzerland could become the first-ever team to finish in third place in the men's team epee at three successive World Championships.
- Women’s Team Sabre
o Russia won this event the last time it was staged at the World Championships, in 2015. Russia has won this event most-often in the competition, seven times. This is four-times more than the next-most prolific team, the United States, with three world titles. Russia is also the Olympic champions from Rio last year, meaning it has won five of the last seven times the event was held at the Olympic Games or World Championships.
o Russia’s Sophia Velikaia has won six gold medals in this event in two competitions combined, one more than Russia’s Julia Gavrilova, with five. Neither fencer is participating in the Russian squad for these World Championships.
o Russia's triumphant campaigns in 2015 and 2016 were engineered by the same team: Velikaia and Gavrilova accompanied by Yana Egorian and Ekaterina Dyachenko. Egorian is the only one left in the Russian squad.
o In 2015, Russia succeeded the United States as World Cchampions from 2014. That team included USA’s 29-year-old Mariel Zagunis, who had also won world titles, aged 15 and 20.
o Ukraine finished in the top-three in this event at each of the last eight world championships, claiming the world title in both 2009 and 2013.
o Ukraine and United States are the only countries to secure a podium finish in each of the last five World Championships.
o Ukraine’s Olga Kharlan could equal Zagunis on a record nine medals in this event at the World Championships.
o Germany has won one medal in this event at World Championships, a bronze in 2001.
o Italy could reach the podium in this event for the first time since 2003, when they won the world title in Havana.
More information, livestream, photos, results, and details about the 2017 Leipzig World Fencing Championships may be found at www.fechten2017.de, as well as on the FIE web site.
Tag #Leipzig2017