Italian foil team retain the gold (Photo FIE)
The Senior World Fencing Championships at AsiaWorld-Expo produced an unforgettable climax to the men’s team foil event, culminating in top-seeded Italy retaining their crown after a breathtaking 45-44 victory over host nation Hong Kong, China.
In front of nearly 4,000 hometown fans cheering on their heroes, the defending champions from Tbilisi 2025 demonstrated supreme composure to claim gold in one of the greatest team finals in fencing history.
The world-leading Italian squad, comprising Paris 2024 Olympic silver medallist Filippo Macchi, 2023 World Champion Tommaso Marini, world number three Guillaume Bianchi, and Tommaso Martini, marched into the final with an authoritative run through the bracket.
Italy opened their campaign with a 45-15 win over Malaysia, followed by victories over Brazil in the round of 16 (45-20) and Egypt in the quarterfinals (45-28). In the semi-finals, Italy faced fifth-seeded Japan in a back-and-forth clash that featured three lead changes before Filippo Macchi led the charge with a standout +9 indicator (19 touches for, 10 against) to seal a 45-37 victory.
The gold medal match pitted Italy against third-ranked Hong Kong, China, whose lineup featured 2025 World Champion Chun Yin Ryan Choi and two-time reigning Olympic Champion Ka Long Cheung alongside Shing Him Harris Ho and Chin Yu Leung.
Hong Kong had booked their place in the final by edging out second-ranked United States 45-43 in a thrilling semi-final, powered by an exceptional performance from Cheung, who scored nearly half of his team’s points with a +9 indicator (19-10).
Driven by electric home-crowd energy, Hong Kong held the lead for the first eight legs of the final, carrying a 40-36 cushion into the anchor bout.
With Hong Kong on the brink of a historic home gold, Italy’s Guillaume Bianchi delivered a clutch performance under immense pressure. Bianchi outscored Choi 9-4 in the final leg, capping a sensational comeback to secure a 45-44 victory for Italy and preserve their World Championship crown.
The bronze medal was claimed by the second-seeded United States. Featuring Nick Itkin, Alexander Massialas, Bryce Louie, and Marcello Olivares, the Americans navigated their early rounds with victories over Australia (45-23), Canada (45-27), and Russia (45-39).
After their heartbreaking 45-43 semi-final loss to Hong Kong, the USA regrouped magnificently in the third-place play-off. Led by the inspirational leadership of Massialas, the American squad delivered a dominant performance to defeat Japan 45-28 and earn a well-deserved spot on the World Championship podium.
