HONG KONG 2026 SENIOR WORLDS ROUND-UP

A round-up of the 2026 Senior World Championships in Hong Kong, which took place on 22nd–30th July. Athletes represented Great Britain across all three weapons in a highly competitive Championships against the World’s leading senior fencers.

The 2026 Senior World Championships brought together the world’s top athletes for eleven days of world-class competition, as they sought to build momentum on the road to European Games in 2027 and the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Individual Highlights

Our athletes recorded a number of notable individual results, with Jaimie Cook, David Sosnov, and Amelie Tsang securing slots in the second day of their respective competitions. In the round of 64, Jaimie defeated local favourite Ho 15-12, whilst David secured a 15-8 defeat of Xu from Canada. Jaimie met world number 14 Tolba from Egypt in the round of 32 and was defeated 15-4, whilst David faced world number 12 and local athlete Cheung and narrowly missed out on a place in the round of 16 with a 15-12 defeat. These results left them placed 27th and 29th, respectively, for the competition. Jaimie’s final FIE ranking for the season was 29th, and David’s 31st.

Meanwhile in the Senior Women’s Foil competition, Amelie Tsang fought valiantly through poules and a close final direct elimination fight against Zhang from Canada to earn a place in the round of 64 on day two. There, she met Italian and world number one Martina Favaretto; whilst she was defeated 15-5, Amelie can hold her head up high as she fought with both alacrity and tenacity through the competition to finish 64th. She ended the season with an FIE ranking of 119th.

Team Event Highlights

Great Britain’s standout tournament performance came in Men’s Epee, where the British quartet of James Jeal, Cador Beautyman, Will East, and Benjamin Andrews, led by GBR Coach Oana Puiu, recorded an impressive run. This included a nail-biting 45-44 defeat of world number one-ranked team, Japan, to finish 14th overall, and saw them closing the gap in the FIE team rankings.

Men’s Epee: 231 Entrants 

• Will East: 96th
• Cador Beautyman: 136th
• James Jeal: 147th
• Ben Andrews: 149th

Women’s Sabre: 140 Entrants

• Keira D-Sallows: 83rd
• Caitlin Maxwell: 96th
• Sophia Potter: 109th
• Maria Chart: 119th

Women’s Foil: 132 Entrants

• Amelie Tsang: 64th
• Katie Castillo-Bernaus: 84th
• Tamara Gavrilenko: 94th
• Zoe Wagstaff: 117th

Men’s Sabre: 165 Entrants

• Will Deary: 79th
• Barnaby Halliwell: 98th
• Olympius Gougoulias: 148th
• Sam Allen: DNC (Medical)

Women’s Epee: 189 Entrants

• Susan Sica Maria: 118th
• Reya Farlam: 120th
• Harriet Hillier: 132nd
• Jessica Rogerson: 180th

Men’s Foil: 172 Entrants

• Jaimie Cook: 27th
• David Sosnov: 29th
• Harry Bird: 94th
• Joe Donaghue: 139th

Men’s Epee Team: 14/46

• Ben Andrews
• Will East
• James Jeal
• Cador Beautyman

Women’s Sabre Team: 23/28

• Caitlin Maxwell
• Keira D-Sallows
• Maria Chart
• Sophia Potter

Women’s Foil Team: 19/26

• Amelie Tsang
• Tamara Gaverilenko
• Katie Castillo-Bernaus
• Zoe Wagstaff

Men’s Sabre Team: 29/35

• Will Deary
• Olympius Gougoulias
• Barnaby Halliwell
• Sam Allen

Women’s Epee Team: 29/36

• Susan Sica Maria
• Reya Farlam
• Harriet Hillier
• Jessica Rogerson

Men’s Foil Team: 17/35 

• Jaimie Cook
• David Sosnov
• Harry Bird
• Joe Donaghue

Other BF Staff and Member Roles:

Pat Aiyenuro (BF President & FIE Executive Committee Member) attended in her role as Executive Committee Member.

Denise Johnson attended as the Team Manager, working tirelessly behind the scenes to deliver first-class support to the athletes as required.

Karim Bashir continued to work as part of the commentary team with Fencing TV.

Major Championships Approach

This event marked an important milestone, with BF aiming to field full teams as part of our preparation for LA 2028. The intention is to select complete squads for Senior Major Championships across 2026 and 2027, providing athletes with valuable exposure to the highest levels of international competition. Selection during this period is designed not only to target immediate performance outcomes, but also to create opportunities for growth, learning, and long-term development, helping athletes build the experience and capabilities required to succeed at Olympic level at LA 2028 and beyond.

Thanks to the GBR coaches who supported the team throughout the Championships (Jon Salfield, Oana Puiu, and Keith Cook), providing invaluable guidance and expertise across the competition. We also wish to recognise the vitally important role played by personal coaches in the ongoing development of our athletes, whose commitment and support throughout the season underpin the performances seen on the international stage.

BF congratulates all selected athletes, coaches, referees, and support staff involved in the Senior World Championships.

Useful links:

View the results on Fencing Time Live here.

Photo Credit: #BizziTeam

This post is related to the BF 2030 Strategy goal to Deliver GBR success. You can read more about the Strategy here.