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More Than 2,000 Fencers Heading to Denver for 2023 Junior Olympics, Where 18 National Champions Will Be Crowned

02/09/2023, 8:45am CST
By Bryan Wendell

From Feb. 17–20, 2023, more than 2,000 fencers from across the country will unite inside the Colorado Convention Center for the 2023 Junior Olympics — the national championships for Junior (under 20) and Cadet (under 17) fencers.


Jenna Shoman (left) fences against Manhattan Fencing Center teammate Aria Bevacqua during the finals of Cadet Women's Saber at the December 2022 North American Cup (Photo by Serge Timacheff)

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — It’s all been building to this. After an action-packed season of fencing tournaments from coast to coast, more than 2,000 of the nation’s top young fencers will compete for national titles at the 2023 USA Fencing Junior Olympics in Denver. 

The event, which crowns 18 national champions across all three weapons (epee, foil and saber) in both the Under-20 and Under-17 divisions, will be held Feb. 17–20, 2023, inside the Colorado Convention Center.

Fencing is one of just five sports contested at every Summer Olympics since the first modern Games in 1896. Because the sport offers the ultimate blend of speed, skill and mental acuity, many athletes refer to fencing as “physical chess.”

There is no cost to attend as a spectator, and tickets are not required. Visitors will be treated to four days of competition including 2,064 of the nation’s finest up-and-coming fencers from 38 different states.

Olympic Dreams Start Here

The Junior Olympics are a proven launching pad for future Olympians. Before she became a three-time Olympian (2012, 2016, 2020) and 2012 Olympic bronze medalist, Courtney Hurley OLY was a three-time Junior Women’s Epee national champion (2005, 2006, 2008).

And three of the four members of the 2016 women’s saber team that won bronze at the Rio Olympics are former Junior Women’s Saber national champions: Monica Aksamit OLY (2008), Ibtihaj Muhammad OLY (2005) and Mariel Zagunis OLY (2000).

And Hurley is hardly the only member of the 2020 Olympic team to have stood atop the Junior Olympics podium. The others, listed with the year of their Junior Olympics championship, include:

  • Lee Kiefer OLY, Junior Women’s Foil (2008)

  • Kat Holmes OLY, Junior Women’s Epee (2009)

  • Eliza Stone OLY, Junior Women’s Saber (2010)

  • Jacqueline Dubrovich OLY, Junior Women’s Foil (2011)

  • Khalil Thompson OLY, Junior Men’s Saber (2017)

Might more future Olympians be ready for their breakout tournament this year? We’ll all be watching to find out as these 2,064 athletes — most between the ages of 13 and 19 — compete for Junior Olympics glory. 

What’s on the Line?

National championships will be awarded in these 18 events:

  • Juniors (under 20)

    • Women’s Epee

    • Men’s Epee

    • Women’s Foil

    • Men’s Foil

    • Women’s Saber

    • Men’s Saber

  • Cadets (under 17)

    • Women’s Epee

    • Men’s Epee

    • Women’s Foil

    • Men’s Foil

    • Women’s Saber

    • Men’s Saber

  • Junior Team (under 20)

    • Women’s Epee

    • Men’s Epee

    • Women’s Foil

    • Men’s Foil

    • Women’s Saber

    • Men’s Saber

In addition to earning a place in the USA Fencing history books, fencers who perform well in Denver will collect valuable points toward qualification for the 2023 Junior & Cadet Fencing World Championships in Bulgaria, where the best fencers from around the world will gather for nine days of competition.

Eyes on a Repeat

Last year’s Junior Olympics, held in Salt Lake City, produced high drama and plenty of impassioned celebrations from these gold medalists and national champions:

2022 Junior Olympics: The Champions

  • Junior Women’s Epee: Ketki Ketkar (Kaizen Academy LLC)

  • Junior Men’s Epee: Samuel A. Imrek (Alliance Fencing Academy)

  • Junior Women’s Foil: Katherine Apelian (New Jersey Fencing Alliance)

  • Junior Men’s Foil: Bryce Louie (LA International Fencing)

  • Junior Women’s Saber: Magda Skarbonkiewicz (Oregon Fencing Alliance)

  • Junior Men’s Saber: Hyunseok Choi (Boston Fencing Club / Globus Fencing Academy)
     

  • Cadet Women’s Epee: Sumin Lee (Battle Born Fencing Club)

  • Cadet Men’s Epee: Samuel A. Imrek (Alliance Fencing Academy)

  • Cadet Women’s Foil: Ivy Zheng (Marx Fencing Academy)

  • Cadet Men’s Foil: Nicholas W. Kim (Top Fencing Club)

  • Cadet Women’s Saber: Jenna Shoman (Manhattan Fencing Center)

  • Cadet Men’s Saber: Gian K. Dhingra (Southern California Fencing Academy (SOCALFA))

And, no pressure to those competing at the 2023 edition of this event, but eight of the 11 fencers above — Ketkar, Apelian, Choi, Lee, Zheng, Kim, Shoman and Dhingra — are registered to compete again in 2023. (Subject to change.)

Admission and Health Protocols

Following the Event

Tag(s): Updates  2023 Junior Olympics