Ryan Choi Chun Yin and Cheung Ka Long (Photo FIE)
The electric atmosphere at AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong is set to reach fever pitch as the 2026 Senior World Championships turn the spotlight to the men’s foil discipline from 21 to 24 July (individual) and 27 July (team).
The men’s individual foil event arrives in Hong Kong with no clear single favourite, as only two fencers managed to secure more than one top-tier title over the course of the regular international season. This intense competitive balance promises a wide-open tournament that is heavily expected to favour tactical adaptability and precise execution.
All eyes are likely to focus on the local tandem of reigning World Champion Ryan Choi Chun Yin and reigning two-time Olympic Champion Cheung Ka Long.
Ryan made history last year by becoming the first fencer from Hong Kong to capture a World Championship gold medal and he has maintained premium form this season with a victory at the fabled Fukuoka World Cup. His teammate, Ka Long, has won gold at nearly every major international tournament in existence but has remarkably never yet held a Senior World Championship individual title. Backed by a passionate home crowd, both local icons are primed to use the home-field advantage to pursue a historic podium finish.
World No. 1 Kirill Borodachev of Russia will enter the fray as the top-seeded threat, carrying the momentum of a seasonal haul that includes gold at the Shanghai Grand Prix and silver medals at both the Fukuoka World Cup and Lima Grand Prix. Although Borodachev suffered a minor setback with an early round-of-32 exit at the recent European Championships, his physical condition and technical baseline make him a premier candidate to bounce back directly on the world stage.
An accomplished field of elite fencers rounds out the core championship threats includes Italians Guillaume Bianchi (176 pts) and Filippo Macchi (140 pts): The Italian duo are both individual winners on the circuit this year. Bianchi showed superb consistency by winning the Turin and Lima Grand Prix titles, while Macchi, the Paris 2024 Olympic individual silver medallist, secured gold at the Istanbul World Cup.
Americans Alexander Massialas (158 pts) and Nick Itkin (133 pts) will be another pair to be wary of. Massialas enjoyed an elite campaign with gold medals at the Paris World Cup and the Pan American Championships. His teammate Itkin, a multiple world individual medallist, endured an injury-plagued season but remains a lethal title threat if he has fully recovered.
Czech Alexander Choupenitch (158 pts) has been one of the most consistent individual performers on the planet this season, capturing the Palma World Cup title alongside a silver medal in Cairo.
Japan’s Iimura Kazuki (140 pts), the Cairo World Cup champion and Asian individual silver medallist leads a formidable Japanese contingent alongside newly crowned Asian Champion Kyosuke Matsuyama.
Italy holds top billing as Hong Kong and USA loom large
The men’s team foil competition promises to be a high-tempo tactical battle where squad depth will dictate the medal rotation. Based strictly on ranking points, reigning World Champions Italy enter the bracket as the definitive favourites.
The Italians put together a sensational regular season, capturing three World Cup team titles in Fukuoka, Cairo, and Istanbul before successfully defending their European Championship title in June.
However, the road to gold will be far from a casual march. The second-ranked United States squad arrives in Hong Kong intending to line up at full strength after dealing with various injuries during the regular circuit. The Americans are historically a powerhouse in this event, having contested the World Championship team final in five of the last six editions.
Host nation Hong Kong represents a massive threat on home soil. Boasting an elite roster that features the absolute pinnacle of individual foil fencing, Hong Kong has proven they can also team up for victory on any given day, highlighted by a golden World Cup performance in Paris earlier this year.
France arrives as a dangerous podium contender after taking a brilliant team silver at the European Championships in Antony, France, while Russia remains the ultimate dark horse of the draw, holding an early season team gold from the Palma World Cup and coming off a highly competitive semi-final showcase against Italy at the Europeans.
