Junior & Cadet Worlds Day 9: U.S. Junior Men's Epee Team Wins First World Title
Published
Day 9 of the 2026 Junior & Cadet World Championships in Rio de Janeiro gave the United States a first that had been 28 attempts in the making: gold in Junior Men's Epee team, the country's first since the event began in 1998.
Day 9 of the 2026 Junior & Cadet World Championships in Rio de Janeiro gave the United States a first that had been 28 attempts in the making: gold in Junior Men's Epee team, the country's first since the event began in 1998.
The comeback against Israel
The final looked lost. Team USA trailed Israel 29–23 with three legs remaining.
Elijah Imrek (Alliance Fencing Academy) went out in Leg 7 and won it 8–2 against Mordechai Milu Lachman, pulling the score level at 31–31. Nathaniel Wimmer (Elite Fencing Academy) followed with a 5–0 leg. Simon Lioznyansky (University of Pennsylvania, Alliance Fencing Academy) closed the match 9–8 to seal it 45–39.
The road to the final
The Americans did not luck into the podium. Their run to the gold medal bout went:
- Colombia — 45–21
- Germany — 45–43
- Italy — 45–35
- China — 45–31
- Israel — 45–39 in the final
The narrow win over Germany was the closest call of the day, decided by two touches.
The gold-medal roster
- Nathaniel Wimmer (Elite Fencing Academy)
- Elijah Imrek (Alliance Fencing Academy, Notre Dame)
- Simon Lioznyansky (University of Pennsylvania, Alliance Fencing Academy)
- James Sennewald (Alliance Fencing Academy)
Wimmer arrived at the team event already carrying hardware: he took individual silver in Junior Men's Epee on Day 7, the second American medal ever in that event.
Junior Women's Epee extends a medal streak to five
The Junior Women's Epee team added bronze, extending a remarkable run of consecutive team medals: bronze in 2022, silver in 2023, gold in 2024, bronze in 2025, and bronze again in 2026.
The bronze-medal roster:
- Natalya Cafasso (Olympia Fencing Center)
- Regina Lee (Swords Fencing Studio)
- Leehi Machulsky (Academy of Fencing Masters, Princeton)
- Jolie Korfonta (DC Fencers Club / Savage Fencing Club)
What a comeback like this teaches
For a young fencer, the lesson of a 29–23 deficit erased in three legs is about team epee's structure: no single leg ends the match, and a 8–2 leg can reset everything. The same principle applies in saber team events, where momentum swings even faster because touches come quicker. Teaching fencers to fence the next touch rather than the scoreboard is a coaching job, not a talent one.
Related reading on Saber Nation
- Day 7 in Rio: Nathaniel Wimmer takes historic Junior Men's Epee silver
- All USA Fencing news for saber fencers
Train with us in Bethesda
Saber Nation coaches saber fencers of all ages at 4701 Sangamore Road, Suite LL2, Bethesda, MD 20816. If your fencer wants to build toward team competition, see our saber fencing classes in Bethesda or contact us.
Official USA Fencing source: Junior & Cadet Worlds Day 9: Junior Men's Epee Team Claims First-Ever World Title, Women Extend Medal Streak to Five — published April 9, 2026.
Training options
Continue with Day 7 in Rio: Wimmer's historic silver or More USA Fencing news or Saber fencing classes in Bethesda, MD.