EAST WINS GOLD IN BERLIN

William East claimed victory at the EFC Eurofence League Epee competition in Berlin last weekend.

GBR epee fencer celebrates. — *Will East won gold at the event (Image: Franziska Pauli via Berliner Fechterbund).*

From a field of 249, Will East secured gold at the EFC Eurofence League Epee competition on 10th-11th January 2026, also known as the 64 White Bear of Berlin. Following the poules – during which he won four of his six fights – he went into the direct elimination round seeded 78th.

The first fight in the tableau of 128 saw Will face off against fellow GBR teammate Louis Taiwo-Williams. After a close 15-13 victory, Will went through to the last 64. His next fight was against Germany’s Marvin Dogue, which Will also won 15-10.

In the last 32, Will faced another German opponent in the form of Louis Bongard. With resilience and focus, Will clinched a 15-14 victory to take him through to the last 16. There, he defeated Raphael Dominici (FRA) 15-9, followed by Rudy Hummel (GER) 15-7 in the last 8.

Having secured his place in the semi-final, Will faced France’s Niklas Astrella to determine what colour medal he’d receive. Once again with a confident performance, he defeated Astrella 15-13 to make it into the final.

Will’s final opponent was Poland’s Mateusz Nycz. Fencing toe-to-toe accompanied by support from his GBR teammates, Will emerged with a 15-14 victory to secure the gold medal.

A podium photo with four fencers smiling and holding trophies. L-R: POL, GBR, FRA, FRA. — *L-R: POL, GBR, FRA, FRA (Image: Will East).*

Following his win, Will said:

“It feels great. I’ve put in a huge amount of work after relocating abroad and rebuilding following a tough few seasons. This result shows that the adjustments we’ve made are paying off, and it’s a good marker that we’re heading in the right direction.

“I’d like to thank my coach, Jamie Miller, whose relentless commitment and vision in our training approach and my potential has been instrumental. I’m grateful to my coaches and clubmates at Alliance Fencing Academy in Houston, Texas, for not just their support but the infectious winning mentality that’s impossible not to absorb. My strength and conditioning coach, Mike Edwards, my GB teammates, and finally my family — you make this possible.”

Greyscale photo of a fencer supporting their teammate, who is sitting on a piste drinking water. — *Will East being coached by GBR teammate Matthew Cooper during the final (Image: Franziska Pauli via Berliner Fechterbund)*

Indiv. Men’s Epee results:	Indiv. Women’s Epee results:
1st: William East 22nd: Benjamin Andrews 27th: Paul James Sanchez-Lethem 39th: Hugo Smith 42nd: James Jeal 60th: Joseph Walmsley 67th: Matthew Cooper 73rd: James Gowen 80th: Louis Taiwo-Williams 133rd: Max Titmuss 136th: Aurelio Calipa 143rd: Philip Huard 147th: James Russell 162nd: Aurelien Degorce 166th: William Ferguson 173rd: Vladimir Kukharev	17th: Danielle Lawson 18th: Harriet Hillier 19th: Sophie Peat 30th: Alexandra Powell 103rd: Katherine Townsend 110th: Megan Upton 112th: Darcy Herring Johnson 140th: Jessica Rogerson DNF: Kate Haswell

Click here to view the full results from Berlin.

Referees Theo Ayanwale and Chiara McDermott represented GBR at the event.

If you’ve received a medal at an FIE or EFC event, let us know by emailing media@britishfencing.com alongside a photo and a quote.