Sebastien Dos Santos Named USA Fencing Women’s Epee National Coach

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — USA Fencing is bringing back one of its most successful epee coaches: Sebastien Dos Santos, the five-time Olympic coach who led American fencers to historic World Championship gold medals, returns as Women’s Epee National Coach after a distinguished 12-year tenure with the organization from 2009-2021. 

Dos Santos will follow in the footsteps of Natalie Dostert, who announced her decision to step down from the role in November. The move positions the program for a strong push toward the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028, where Women's Epee individual competition will take place on Day 1 of the Games.

Dos Santos brings 27 years of international coaching experience across three countries and five Olympic Games. His track record includes the first-ever Senior World Championship gold for USA men's epee in 2012, and he served as Director of Epee when the U.S. women captured their historic 2018 World Championship team title.

“Sebastian’s track record speaks for itself, but what makes this appointment special is his deep understanding of our program and athletes,” says Kate Reisinger, USA Fencing’s Chief of Sport Performance. “He built something extraordinary during his first tenure with USA Fencing, and we’re thrilled to welcome him back to lead our Women’s Epee program into the Los Angeles Olympic cycle.”

Dos Santos says he plans to continue building the legacy that Dostert and her predecessors established with the Women's Epee program, focusing on what he calls a “team at large” dynamic for the team. That means guiding and mentoring the incredible athletes, yes, but also supporting personal coaches, video analysts, sports psychologists, medical staff and parents — all “an inherent part of that team dynamic,” Dos Santos says.

“In that leadership position, I envision my role as a facilitator, making sure the whole program moves in the same direction,” he says. “I perceive inevitable conflicts as opportunities to get deeper into interpersonal relationships, knowing from experience that if we are able to get past disagreements, we build a more trustful relationship.”

Dos Santos understands that fencers bring their personal goals to the sport but that those goals can often be enhanced when fencers consider the team as a whole.

“What drives me is my interest in bringing people together in the pursuit of team goals that can sometimes surpass personal goals,” he says. “Through my prior roles with USA Fencing and other international coaching experiences, I have come to believe that individual and team performance is often the fruit of a powerful positive team dynamic.”

A five-time Olympic coach representing France, Brazil and the United States, Dos Santos most recently served as Assistant Epee Coach at the U.S. Air Force Academy, where he was named 2025 MPSF Assistant Coach of the Year. He also directs the Bordeaux International Epee Camp, now in its 12th year, which attracts fencers from across Europe and North America.

The U.S. Women’s Epee Team finished seventh at the Paris Olympics and fifth at the 2025 World Championships in Tbilisi.