January 2026 SJCC Day 1 Recap: One Touch at a Time
Published
The 2026 Super Junior and Cadet Circuit opened in Memphis with four national champions crowned on Day 1.
The 2026 Super Junior and Cadet Circuit opened in Memphis with four national champions crowned on Day 1.
Day 1 gold medalists
- Cadet Women's Epee — Claire Lee (Arena Fencing Academy LLC)
- Cadet Men's Epee — Joey Wang (Swords Fencing Studio)
- Junior Men's Foil — James Lin (Gutkovskiy Fencing Academy)
- Junior Women's Saber — Anna Suvorova (Dynamo Fencing Center Inc.)
Junior Women's Saber
Anna Suvorova won Junior Women's Saber on the opening day. Junior women's saber is one of the events where domestic depth has grown quickly, and an SJCC title there is a meaningful marker inside a season.
How an SJCC day runs
Fencers arrive early for equipment check, fence a pool round of five-touch bouts, then enter a direct-elimination bracket of 15-touch bouts. Seeding out of pools comes from victory percentage, indicator and touches scored. A champion may fence eight or nine bouts before the final.
Preparing for a first circuit event
- Bring a labeled spare weapon and body cord; a failure mid-bout costs time and composure.
- Plan food and water for a day that can run from early morning into the afternoon.
- Expect pools to feel different from club bouting — unfamiliar opponents, unfamiliar referees, and a time pressure that rewards simple, well-timed actions.
Where saber development actually happens
None of the fencers on this list arrived here from a circuit event. They arrived from weekly club training: footwork, lessons, bouting, and enough local competition that a national venue stops feeling unusual. That is the same path we run in Bethesda.
Related reading on Saber Nation
Train with us in Bethesda
Saber Nation coaches saber fencers from beginner classes through national competition at 4701 Sangamore Road, Suite LL2, Bethesda, MD 20816. See our saber fencing classes in Bethesda or contact us.
Official USA Fencing source: January 2026 SJCC Day 1 Recap: One Touch at a Time — published January 23, 2026.
Training options
Continue with January 2026 SJCC Day 2 recap or More USA Fencing news or Saber fencing classes in Bethesda, MD.