TBILISI – Russian fencer Yana Egorian clinched gold in the women’s sabre event at the World Fencing Championships held in Georgia on Sunday, competing under neutral status due to international sanctions. Egorian, who previously won gold medals in both the individual and team sabre events at the Rio Olympics, defeated Poland’s Zuzanna Cieslar 15-11 in the final.
Egorian expressed her joy after the win, calling it a hard-fought victory. “I’m very happy. Today was very difficult, especially when I fenced with Lisa Pusztai (round of 64),” she said. “I spoke with my coach, and he understood what I didn’t do right, and after that I fenced better. Now I want to win the (next) Olympic Games.”
Her compatriot, Kirill Borodachev, also competing as a neutral athlete, secured silver in the men’s individual foil earlier in the tournament.
The participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes as neutrals has been controversial. The sport’s global governing body, the International Fencing Federation (FIE), allowed them to compete under neutral status, prompting backlash from Ukraine’s fencing federation. The Ukrainian body has said it is considering legal action, especially over the inclusion of athletes with military affiliations.
In protest, more than 440 fencers from 40 countries signed an open letter urging the FIE to reinstate strict background checks for Russian and Belarusian competitors. Despite the opposition, the FIE defended its decision, stating that it reflects the federation’s “commitment to peace, fairness, and the global unity of sport.”