2026 Junior & Cadet Worlds, Day 5: Jaelyn Liu Makes History With Back-to-Back Cadet and Junior Foil Titles; Wang and Calise Also Medal

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — Jaelyn Liu came to Rio as the reigning Junior and Cadet Women's Foil world champion. She's leaving as something more: the first fencer in history, across any country and any weapon, to win both Cadet and Junior gold at two different world championships.

Liu (Star Fencing Academy, Fencing Institute of Texas) defeated Yixin Zhang of China 15-8 in the Cadet Women's Foil gold medal bout on Day 5 of the 2026 Junior & Cadet Fencing World Championships — capping a tournament in which she won Junior gold on Day 4 and Cadet gold on Day 5. She accomplished the same Cadet-and-Junior double at last year's championships in Wuxi. No fencer in the history of this tournament had ever done it twice.

The gold is Liu's seventh world championship title. She has now won three individual Cadet golds, two individual Junior golds, one Junior team gold and one Senior team gold — a collection that puts her in rare company among the most decorated fencers in the history of this sport.

Getting there required digging deep. In the round of 16, Liu found herself struggling — and reached back to a memory from Wuxi.

"I had a flashback to last year," she said. "I had a similar situation in the table of eight where I was leading and then losing, and I couldn't hit anything because my arm was so stiff. And that was the same thing that happened today. I said to myself, if I lose, I lose, but if I win, I won't go down without a fight."

The path to the final included a compelling semifinal matchup against fellow American Ella Calise (Tim Morehouse Fencing Club) — meaning neither fencer could be coached from the sideline, and Team USA fans in the crowd had to remain silent. Liu won 15-4. When the bout ended, the two teammates embraced warmly — a moment that captured the spirit of a squad that had just put two Americans on the Cadet Women's Foil podium.

Calise earned bronze — giving Team USA two medals in Cadet Women's Foil for the first time since May Tieu and Delphine DeVore both medaled at the 2018 championships in Verona.

Caterina Fedeli (Epic Fencing Club) added a strong 9th-place finish, giving Team USA three athletes in the top 10 of the event.

In Cadet Men's Foil, Aaron Wang (Bluegrass Fencers' Club) reached the semifinals out of a field of 125 before earning bronze. Lucas Senic (Renaissance Fencing Club) finished 40th and Bradley Li (Star Fencing Academy) finished 50th.

As for Liu, the magnitude of what she has accomplished is still settling in.

"I just finished the competition and all these feelings have just washed over me," she said. "Maybe after the competition ends I'll be hit with the realization that I won all these tournaments. I'm very happy that I'm able to represent my country in such huge competitions, and I really hope to continue to do so."

Cadet Women's Foil

Gold: Jaelyn Liu (Star Fencing Academy, Fencing Institute of Texas) Bronze: Ella Calise (Tim Morehouse Fencing Club) 9th place: Caterina Fedeli (Epic Fencing Club)

Cadet Men's Foil

Bronze: Aaron Wang (Bluegrass Fencers' Club) 40th place: Lucas Senic (Renaissance Fencing Club) 50th place: Bradley Li (Star Fencing Academy)