Junior & Cadet Worlds, Day 8: Cafasso Earns Cadet Women's Epee Silver in Remarkable Day Marked by Resilience On and Off the Strip

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — Before a single bout was fenced on Day 8 of the 2026 Junior & Cadet Fencing World Championships, the day had already tested everyone involved.

A fire broke out at the Velodrome — the tournament's secondary venue — at 4:15 a.m., forcing organizers to consolidate all competition into a single building. Through no fault of the FIE, the day faced a significant logistical challenge before dawn. What followed was a testament to the dedication of the tournament's volunteers and staff, who miraculously reorganized the entire day's competition and still finished on time.

On the strip, Natalya Cafasso (Olympia Fencing Center) delivered one of the most impressive individual performances of the tournament — competing in Junior Women's Epee on Day 7 and returning the very next day to reach the Cadet Women's Epee final.

Cafasso went 4-2 in pools, then won her first three bouts — 15-10 over Carlota Chareca of Portugal, 15-7 over Yagmur Yurttas of Turkey and 15-9 over Laena Lee of Korea — before advancing through the bracket. Her path to the final included a pivotal quarterfinal victory over Julia Yin of Canada, 15-12. Yin won Junior Women's Epee gold in 2024 and silver in 2025 — making her one of the most accomplished epee fencers of her generation. Cafasso dispatched her with confidence.

In the semifinals, Cafasso defeated Yanka Sobus of Canada 15-9 to advance to the gold medal bout against Hungary's Lotti Horváth — the reigning Cadet Women's Epee world champion. Cafasso fell 15-8 in the final, earning silver.

It is the second U.S. silver in Cadet Women's Epee in three years, following Sharika Gajjala's silver at the 2024 championships in Riyadh.

Also in Cadet Women's Epee, Scarlett Lee (New York Fencing Academy) turned in a strong 14th-place finish, and Regina Lee (Swords Fencing Studio) finished 20th.

In Cadet Men's Epee, Andy Zheng (Guanyi Fencing Academy, Twin Cities Fencing Club) led the U.S. contingent with a 10th-place finish in a field of 138 — a strong result in one of the tournament's most competitive events. Alan Lam (ASER International Fencing Academy) finished 26th and Christopher Davoodian (Swords Fencing Studio) finished 37th.

Cadet Women's Epee

Silver: Natalya Cafasso (Olympia Fencing Center) 14th place: Scarlett Lee (New York Fencing Academy) 20th place: Regina Lee (Swords Fencing Studio)

Cadet Men's Epee

10th place: Andy Zheng (Guanyi Fencing Academy, Twin Cities Fencing Club) 26th place: Alan Lam (ASER International Fencing Academy) 37th place: Christopher Davoodian (Swords Fencing Studio)