USA Fencing Welcomes Carolina Stutchbury to the Team

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — As one of the brightest young talents in women’s foil, Carolina Stutchbury is trading the red, white and blue of Great Britain for the red, white and blue of the United States.

The 19‑year‑old, who grew up in London and Atlanta and is currently a sophomore at Columbia University, recently confirmed her intention to represent USA Fencing as she pursues her dream of fencing in the Olympic Games.

Stutchbury enters the American ranks as the highest‑ranked British fencer and the reigning European silver medallist, adding depth and star power to the U.S. women’s foil program, which won Olympic gold in Paris last summer.

Stutchbury’s decision follows a whirlwind run of results that has propelled her to prominence. She captured bronze at the 2022 World Junior Championships in Dubai and silver at that year’s Cadet World Championships, adding those medals to two Junior European Championship titles and a cadet European bronze.

Competing for Columbia University in 2024–25, she tied for third at the NCAA Championships and was an NCAA Northeast Regional bronze medalist, earning First‑Team All‑American honors and recognition as the United States Fencing Coaches Association Women’s Foil Newcomer of the Year.

Internationally, she delivered a breakout senior season by claiming bronze at the 2024 European Championships in Basel and then going one better at the 2025 European Championships in Genova, where she defeated Italy’s Martina Batini in the semifinals before falling to France’s Eva Lacheray 15‑13 for silver.

Having lived much of her life in the United States, Stutchbury said the switch reflects both her personal ties and her Olympic ambitions.

“I want to express my sincere gratitude for the support British Fencing has given me throughout my career. Representing Great Britain and winning medals under the GBR banner has been a privilege, and I am proud of what we have achieved together,” she writes in a statement on British Fencing's website. “I have lived in the U.S. for much of my life and plan to remain here long term; the upcoming LA Games is a unique opportunity to realise my ambition to fence as part of a team in the Olympics.”

British Fencing chief executive Georgina Usher thanked Stutchbury for her contributions and acknowledged the challenges of supporting senior athletes. 

“We want to say thank you to Carolina for everything that she has brought to our GBR squad over the years,” Usher writes. “It has been a pleasure to support her through her pathway journey, and we are extremely proud of all the medals she has won along the way. 

"We understand that, at this time, the USA provides senior athletes with a level of support and host‑nation opportunities to compete at the next Olympic Games which are not currently available to GBR athletes … In the meantime, we wish Carolina success in achieving her goals and ambitions.”

USA Fencing CEO Phil Andrews expressed enthusiasm about Stutchbury’s arrival. 

“We’re thrilled to welcome Carolina to the USA Fencing family,” he says. “Her performances at the European Championships and the NCAA show that she’s one of the most dynamic foilists in the world. Beyond her results, she embodies the work ethic and team spirit we value, and we’re excited to support her as she pursues her Olympic dream alongside our Olympic champions in women's foil.

In welcoming Stutchbury, USA Fencing also thanked British Fencing for the role it played in her development and the cooperative manner in which the transfer was handled. 

Fans across the fencing community will be watching eagerly as Stutchbury continues her rise — now in American colors.