Katrina Lehis
Women’s individual epee stands out as an open field at the Senior World Championships from 22 to 30 July, highlighted by an interesting statistical trend: 10 different women have won the last 10 gold medals across the World Championships and Olympic Games combined, dating back to 2015.
Sitting at the top of the FIE world rankings is the world No. 1, Estonia’s Katrina Lehis (245 points), who arrives in Hong Kong fresh from earning her second individual title, at the European Senior Fencing Championships in Antony, France.
Lehis has enjoyed a dominant season, winning gold at the Budapest Grand Prix, silver at the Astana World Cup and bronze at the Medellín Grand Prix. Known for her immense tenacity, the left-handed Estonian has routinely fought back from deep point deficits this season and remains arguably the sport’s most clinical finisher in a high-stakes priority minute.
If Lehis captures gold in Hong Kong, she will become only the second woman in history to win the World and European individual epee titles in the same calendar year, joining Hungary’s Mariann Horváth, who achieved the feat in 1991.
World No. 2, Italy’s Alberta Santuccio (200 points), stands as the most consistent podium threat alongside Hungary’s Eszter Muhari, having accumulated five medals this season, including gold at the Medellín Grand Prix and the Saint-Maur World Cup.
Santuccio famously scored the winning touch for Italy in overtime against France at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, although an early round-of-16 exit at the recent Antony European Championships has left some questions regarding her direct elimination mentality when entering as a favourite.
Also on 200 points, Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medallist Muhari has enjoyed a spectacular campaign featuring gold at the Doha Grand Prix, silvers in Budapest and Medellín, and a bronze at the European Championships. Muhari has a fierce determination in her eyes and aims to secure Hungary’s first World Championship individual epee medal since 2013.
Korean Song Sera (167 pts), the 2022 World Champion and 2025 bronze medallist remains Asia’s premier individual threat. With a gold medal from the Astana World Cup and a bronze at the Asian Championships in New Delhi, she looks to become only the second South Korean individual fencer to secure a third World Championship medal.
Marie-Florence Candassamy (133 pts), the 2023 World Champion from France has experienced a hot-and-cold season but remains a premier threat. Armed with gold from the Fujairah World Cup and silver from Vancouver, she leads a powerful French contingent that includes world No. 7 Alexandra Louis Marie (Doha Grand Prix silver) and Paris 2024 Olympic silver medallist Auriane Mallo-Breton, who is chasing her first individual World podium.
Hadley Husisian (133 pts), the Pan American individual silver medallist and Saint-Maur World Cup runner-up leads the charge for the Americas, looking to join Courtney Hurley as only the second American woman to stand on a World Championship individual epee podium.
Italian Giulia Rizzi (113 pts) is a dangerous podium dark horse, Rizzi proved her gold-medal pedigree earlier in the season with individual titles at the Vancouver and Wuxi World Cups.
Ukraine’s rising star, Anna Maksymenko (107 pts) earned a bronze in Doha, while the newly crowned African Champion Alexandra Ndolo (101 ptscarries the hopes of her continent as she aims to capture Kenya’s first-ever fencing World Championship medal.
With left-handed fencers historically dominating this weapon – claiming six of the last eight world titles and 75% of all individual medals since 2018 – the tactical and mechanical battles on the pistes will be exceptionally tight. Defending champion Vlada Kharkova of Ukraine will look to protect her crown but the title is highly likely to emerge from the top 10 elite.
Republic of Korea enters as Team Favourite, while France eyes back-to-back glory
The women’s team epee competition promises to be a structural tactical battle where discipline will override ferocity. World No. 1, the Republic of Korea (376 points), enters the competition as the in-form team of the global circuit.
The South Koreans dominated the latter half of the regular season, winning the final two World Cup events in Astana and Saint-Maur before securing an authoritative gold medal over China at the Asian Championships in New Delhi. As the only nation to finish on the podium at each of the last three World Championships, South Korea’s disciplined squad chemistry sets the standard in Hong Kong.
World No. 2 France (322 points) will look to defend their 2025 world title. Despite a highly frustrating World Cup season where they failed to record a single team World Cup podium, the French squad reestablished their elite status in June by defeating Hungary to win the European Championship in Antony. France now looks well placed to translate that momentum onto the world stage as they chase back-to-back world titles.
The chasing pack is led by Hungary, Italy, and Russia, three of Europe’s most consistent medal threats. Hungary holds a record eight world titles in this event but has not stood at the top of the podium since 2002. Italy, the reigning Paris 2024 Olympic Champions, will rely heavily on Alberta Santuccio and Rossella Fiamingo as they pursue their second-ever team world title.
From the Pan American zone, the United States (World No. 3) remains a dangerous but unpredictable entity. Among the Asian competitors, China may pose a significant threat, having won team medals at all three previous World Championships hosted in Asia.
