The squads are set, and the world is waiting. Let’s fence. 

With the final World Cup event of the 2021–22 international season in the books, we now know who will represent Team USA at the 2022 Pan American Senior Championships in Paraguay and the 2022 World Fencing Championships in Egypt. 

The 25 fencers on the 2022 Senior World Team represent an exciting mix of seasoned athletes with experience at the Olympics and Senior World Championships as well as fencers making their debuts on fencing’s most illustrious stage.

Across the cadet, junior and senior levels, these athletes have combined to earn dozens of medals for the red, white and blue. Those impressive results include two medals — gold in men’s team foil and bronze in women’s team foil — at the 2019 World Fencing Championships in Hungary. 

Because of the pandemic and the Tokyo Olympics, there hasn’t been a Senior Worlds since 2019, meaning this year’s tournament represents the end of a three-year wait.

Team USA’s Senior World Team features 15 athletes who competed at the Tokyo Olympics last summer, including Lee Kiefer (Lexington, Ky.), who won gold in women’s foil, and three of the four members of the bronze medal-winning men’s foil team (Nick Itkin, Gerek Meinhardt and Alexander Massialas).

But only one of the six teams — men’s saber — is bringing back all four Tokyo Olympians for another shot at world glory. That’s a promising sign that the talent pipeline in USA Fencing is strong, meaning those at the top of our sport are constantly being pushed by the next wave of phenomenal fencers battling for a spot on a Senior World Team.

As evidence of this, there are six teenagers on the squad — a group of young fencers who have proven themselves ready for this next stage.

The two youngest fencers are 17-year-old Chase Emmer (Morristown, N.J.), who won a junior men’s foil bronze medal at the 2022 Junior and Cadet Worlds in Dubai, and 17-year-old Tatiana Nazlymov (Bethesda, Md.), whose consistently strong season in women’s saber included a bronze medal at the October North American Cup.

Following the action in Paraguay (June 3–8) and Egypt (July 15–23) requires just a couple of taps. If you follow USA Fencing Instagram or Facebook, you won’t miss a moment.

All season long, Team USA athletes have crisscrossed the country and the globe to face off against the best athletes in the nation and the world. 

These domestic and international tournaments present an opportunity for fencers to earn qualification points. The higher a fencer places in a tournament, the more points they earn. This process is made more interesting by something called the “strength factor” multiplier. Tournaments with a tougher field of competitors are worth more points. 

For fans, following along is easy. At USA Fencing, we “show our work” when calculating these points, so fans always know where fencers rank.

You can start by consulting the point charts in the Athlete Handbook to know the value of each finishing position. Then visit USA Fencing’s Current Point Standings page. Here, you get a complete, always up-to-date look at each fencer’s point totals. For the Senior World Team discussed in this post, find the weapon you want and look for the PDF that includes the words “Sr Team.”

Let’s look at the qualifying path of men’s foil fencer Nick Itkin as an example. Itkin won gold medals at two USA Fencing tournaments this season. Each first-place finish was worth 1,000 points, multiplied by the strength factor of 1.1, meaning each gold earned Itkin 1,100 points. Since a fencer only gets to count their top two domestic results, Itkin earned the maximum 2,200 points in the domestic category. 

For international points, fencers count their top four finishes. For Itkin, that included 12th at the Tokyo Olympics (1,248 points), 6th at the Plovdiv World Cup in Bulgaria (1,668 points) and a pair of top-32 finishes. 

All in all, Itkin earned 6,724 points — enough to secure a spot atop the rankings.

Here are the teams that will compete at the:

• 2022 Pan American Senior Championships
  • June 3–8, 2022
  • Asunción, Paraguay
• 2022 World Fencing Championships
  • July 15–23, 2022
  • Cairo, Egypt

The athletes below are listed in order of their final ranking in the point standings. 

Senior Men's Foil

Age: 22
City: Los Angeles, Calif.
Club: LA International Fencing
Hand: Right
FIE World Ranking: 13
Olympic Experience: 

• 2020 Tokyo: Bronze in team 

Worlds Medals: 

• 2017: Gold in junior team 
• 2018: Gold in junior individual, bronze in junior team

Instagram: @nick_itkin

Age: 17
City: Morristown, N.J.
Club: V Fencing Club
Hand: Right
FIE World Ranking: 33
Worlds Medals:

• 2021: Bronze in cadet individual
• 2022: Bronze in junior individual

Instagram: @chase_emmer

Age: 31
City: Lexington, Ky.
Club: Massialas Foundation (M Team)
Hand: Right
FIE World Ranking: 14
Olympic Experience:

• 2020 Tokyo: Bronze in team 
• 2016 Rio: Bronze in team 
• 2012 London
• 2008 Beijing 

Worlds Medals: 

• 2008: Gold in junior team 
• 2009: Bronze in junior individual, silver in junior team 
• 2010: Gold in junior team, silver in junior individual, bronze in senior individual
• 2015: Bronze in senior individual
• 2017: Silver in senior team 
• 2018: Silver in senior team 
• 2019: Gold in senior team 

Instagram: @gerekmeinhardt

Age: 28
City: San Francisco, Calif.
Club: Massialas Foundation (M Team)
Hand: Right
FIE World Ranking: 18
Olympic Experience:

• 2020 Tokyo: Bronze in team 
• 2016 Rio: Silver in individual, bronze in team 
• 2012 London

Worlds Medals: 

• 2009: Silver in junior team, bronze in cadet individual
• 2010: Gold in cadet individual, gold in junior team
• 2011: Gold in cadet individual, gold in junior team, silver in junior individual
• 2012: Gold in junior team, bronze in junior individual
• 2013: Gold in junior individual, silver in junior team, silver in senior team
• 2014: Silver in junior team, bronze in junior individual
• 2015: Silver in senior individual
• 2017: Silver in senior team 
• 2018: Silver in senior team 
• 2019: Gold in senior team 

Instagram: @amassialas
 

Senior Women's Foil

Age: 27 
City: Lexington, Ky.
Club:  Bluegrass Fencers' Club
Hand: Right
FIE World Ranking: 1
Olympic Experience:

• 2020 Tokyo: gold in individual
• 2016 Rio
• 2012 London

Worlds Medals: 

• 2008: Bronze in cadet individual
• 2009: Gold in junior team, silver in cadet individual
• 2010: Gold in cadet individual
• 2011: Silver in cadet individual, silver in junior individual, silver in junior team, bronze in senior team
• 2012: Silver in junior team, bronze in junior individual
• 2013: Silver in junior team, bronze in junior individual
• 2014: Gold in junior individual, gold in junior team
• 2017: Silver in senior team
• 2018: Gold in senior team
• 2019: Bronze in senior team

Instagram: @leetothekiefer
 

Age: 27
City: Maplewood, N.J.
Club: New Jersey Fencing Alliance
Hand: Right
FIE World Ranking: 13
Olympic Experience:

• 2020 Tokyo 

Worlds Medals: 

• 2011: Silver in junior team
• 2012: Silver in junior team
• 2013: Silver in junior team
• 2014: Gold in junior team
• 2019: Bronze in senior team

Instagram: @jackiedubrovich

Age: 19
City: Philadelphia
Clubs: Fencers Club Inc., Princeton University
Hand: Right
FIE World Ranking: 50
Worlds Medals: 

• 2021: Silver in junior team
• 2022: Gold in junior team

Instagram: @maia.weintraub

Age: 19
City: South Orange, N.J.
Club: V Fencing Club, Columbia University
Hand: Right
FIE World Ranking: 52
Worlds Medals: 

• 2021: Silver in junior team
• 2022: Gold in junior team

Instagram: @zanderrrhodes

Senior Men's Saber

Age: 31
City: New York
Club: Peter Westbrook Foundation
Hand: Right
FIE World Ranking: 10
Olympic Experience:

• 2020 Tokyo
• 2016 Rio: Silver in individual
• 2012 London

Worlds Medals: 

• 2007: Bronze in cadet individual
• 2009: Bronze in junior individual
• 2010: Bronze in junior team
• 2015: Silver in senior individual

Instagram: @daryldhomer

Age: 26
City: Sherborn, Mass.
Club: Tim Morehouse Fencing Club
Hand: Left
FIE World Ranking: 7
Olympic Experience:

• 2020 Tokyo
• 2016 Rio

Worlds Medals: 

• 2012: Silver in junior individual
• 2013: Bronze in junior individual
• 2014: Bronze in junior team
• 2015: Gold in junior individual, bronze in junior team
• 2018: Silver in senior individual

Instagram: @eli.dershwitz

Age: 26
City: New York, N.Y.
Clubs: Zeta Fencing and Manhattan Fencing Club
Hand: Left
FIE World Ranking: 33
Olympic Experience:

• 2020 Tokyo

Worlds Medals: 

• 2012: Silver in cadet individual
• 2014: Bronze in junior team
• 2015: Bronze in junior team

Instagram: @andrewmackiewicz

Age: 25
City: Teaneck, N.J.
Club: Peter Westbrook Foundation
Hand: Left
FIE World Ranking: 37
Olympic Experience:

• 2020 Tokyo 

Instagram: @_khalilanthony

Senior Women's Saber

Age: 31
City: Princeton, N.J.
Club: Bergen Fencing Club
Hand: Right
FIE World Ranking: 13
Olympic Experience:

• 2020 Tokyo

Worlds Medals: 

• 2013: Bronze in senior team 
• 2014: Gold in senior team
• 2015: Bronze in senior team
• 2018: Bronze in senior individual

Instagram: @eliza.stone

Age: 22
City: Sea Bright, N.J.
Club:  Manhattan Fencing Center, Harvard University
Hand: Right
FIE World Ranking: 87
Worlds Medals: 

• 2016: Bronze in junior team
• 2017: Bronze in cadet individual
• 2018: Silver in junior team

Instagram: @elizabethtartakovsky

Age: 17
City: Bethesda, Md.
Club: Nazlymov Fencing Foundation
Hand: Right
FIE World Ranking: 95 
Instagram: @tati.nazlymov

Age: 18
City: Bethesda, Md.
Club: Bergen Fencing Club, Princeton University
Hand: Right 
FIE World Ranking: 94
Worlds Medals: 

• 2019: Bronze in cadet individual
• 2021: Silver in junior team
• 2022: Silver in junior individual

Instagram: @honor.johnson

Senior Men's Epee

Age: 26
City: Jamaica, N.Y.
Club: Peter Westbrook Foundation
Hand: Right
FIE World Ranking: 24
Olympic Experience:

• 2020 Tokyo 

Instagram: @curtismcdowald

Age: 25
City: Long Island City, N.Y.
Club: New York Athletic Club
Hand: Right
FIE World Ranking: 61
Worlds Medals: 

• 2014: Silver in cadet individual, bronze in junior individual

Instagram: @justinyoo97

Age: 35
City: Flushing, N.Y.
Club: Peter Westbrook Foundation
Hand: Right
FIE World Ranking: 55
Olympic Experience:

• 2020 Tokyo

Instagram: @the_blackzorro

Age: 30
City: West Orange, N.J.
Club: Fencers Club Inc.
Hand: Right
FIE World Ranking: 107
Olympic Experience:

• 2020 Tokyo

Age: 27
City: Forest Hills, N.Y.
Club: Fencers Club Inc.
Hand: Left
FIE World Ranking: 147
Instagram: @cooperschumacher

Senior Women's Epee

Age: 28
City: Washington, D.C.
Club: New York Athletic Club
Hand: Right
FIE World Ranking: 11
Olympic Experience:

• 2020 Tokyo
• 2016 Rio

Worlds Medals: 

• 2009: Silver in cadet individual
• 2010: Silver in junior team
• 2012: Bronze in junior team
• 2018: gold in senior team

Instagram: @katholmes46

Age: 31
City: Hartland, Wis.
Club: Ataba Fencing Club
Hand: Right
FIE World Ranking: 46
Instagram: @margheritaguzzivincenti

Age: 27
City: Goleta, Calif.
Club: Alliance Fencing Academy
Hand: Right
FIE World Ranking: 47
Olympic Experience:

• 2020 Tokyo

Worlds Medals: 

• 2012: Bronze in junior team
• 2014: Silver in junior team

Instagram: @avanbrummen

Age: 18
City: Oakton, Va.
Clubs: Fencers Club Inc., Elite Fencing Academy, DC Fencers Club
Hand: Right
FIE World Ranking: 63
Worlds Medals: 

• 2022: Gold in junior individual, bronze in junior team

Instagram: @hadleyhusisian

We understand that many in the USA Fencing community will question Alen Hadzic’s inclusion on our 2022 Senior World Team, given that he is still under investigation by the U.S. Center for SafeSport — an independent body separate from USA Fencing. 

We had hoped for a swifter resolution to this investigation, which has now stretched on for more than a year. We share in the frustration of fencers and fencing fans.

The U.S. Center for SafeSport has the exclusive authority to adjudicate reports of alleged sexual abuse and sexual misconduct. As long as the outcome of this investigation remains unresolved, USA Fencing is obligated to allow Hadzic to compete internationally. 

But we have taken decisive action where we can. For the past year, we have implemented a safety plan designed to protect athletes, coaches and staff at all tournaments at which Hadzic has been a participant. 

While we await the conclusion of this protracted investigation, we will continue to put the safety of our athletes, coaches and staff above all else.