Junior & Cadet Worlds Day 2: Aiden Tse Wins Cadet Men's Saber Gold on Debut

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Aiden Tse (Premier Fencing Academy, San Francisco) won Cadet Men's Saber gold on Day 2 of the 2026 Junior & Cadet World Championships in Rio — at his first Junior & Cadet Worlds.

Aiden Tse (Premier Fencing Academy, San Francisco) won Cadet Men's Saber gold on Day 2 of the 2026 Junior & Cadet World Championships in Rio — at his first Junior & Cadet Worlds.

Gold on a first appearance

Winning a world title on debut is unusual at any age. Cadet fields are enormous and unfamiliar: fencers meet opponents from dozens of countries they have never seen on video, with referees and timing rhythms that differ from the domestic circuit. Tse handled all of it in one day.

Cadet Men's Saber result line: Gold — Aiden Tse (Premier Fencing Academy).

A U.S. run in Cadet Men's Saber

Tse's gold continues a striking American streak in the event:

That is three Cadet Men's Saber world titles in the last four championships.

The coaches

Tse's coaches Tsetsi Hristov and Kristiyan Hristov spoke about pride in the result and about years of work finally paying off — the version of a world title that only the people in the training room see. Paraphrased, their point was that the day was the product of a long process rather than a single hot bracket.

What a cadet debut actually requires

Three things show up in every cadet breakthrough we see: enough physical base to fence a full day of direct elimination, a simple tactical plan the fencer can execute when tired, and comfort with unfamiliar opponents. The third is the one families underrate — it comes from entering enough open and regional events to stop being surprised by a new style.

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Official USA Fencing source: 2026 Junior & Cadet Worlds Day 2: Aiden Tse Wins Cadet World Gold in Men's Saber in Stunning Debut Performance — published April 2, 2026.

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