USA Fencing

PLOVDIV, Bulgaria — About 15 hours after finishing in sixth place in the Junior Women’s Foil competition, Emily Jing (Star Fencing Academy) was back on the strip to fence in pools in the Cadet Women’s Foil event. She’s one of just three Team USA athletes who qualified for both Juniors (under 20) and Cadets (under 17) at this year’s Junior & Cadet Worlds.

For the 15-year-old Jing, fencing in Juniors — against a field that included women as old as 20 — didn’t sap her energy. In fact, she says, that experience helped her to relax.

“I realized that I don't need to put too much pressure on myself,” she says. “Don't focus on winning too much, but focus on fencing better and improving my fencing.”

That mentality proved effective on Wednesday at the 2023 Junior & Cadet Fencing World Championships in Bulgaria, where Jing won a Cadet Women’s Foil bronze medal — her first Junior & Cadet Worlds hardware.

Jing says the medal was the result of lots of factors coming together this season.

“It’s been my coaches and the environment at SFA [Star Fencing Academy], my club, and sacrificing a lot of sleep, and school,” she says.

She can’t rest just yet, with the Junior Women’s Foil team event still to come on Thursday. Jing says she’s been able to stay on her feet thanks to the work of Dr. Peggy Chin, USA Fencing’s Director of Sports Medicine, as well as the other medical providers at the event, including Tomy Ton and Catherine Mills.

“I did have a lot treatment yesterday, but I was still really sore this morning,” Jing says. “But I kind of focus on not getting injured, because that can happen when you're really tired. But I think it went fine.”

Jing’s bronze medal comes two years after her older sister, Alexandra Jing, won bronze in Cadet Women’s Foil at the 2021 Junior & Cadet Worlds in Cairo. (Alexandra now fences at Columbia University.)

Emily Jing says her sister texted her to congratulate her on the medal.

“It’s funny because now we’re twinning,” she says.

Jing will hope to add one more medal to her carry-on bag during Thursday’s team event, where she’ll fence alongside Lauren Scruggs, Zander Rhodes and Ryanne Leslie.

“I hope that I can contribute to my team,” Jing says, “because I'm just honored to be on a team with three other really good fencers.”

Cadet Women’s Foil

• Bronze: Emily Jing
  • Star Fencing Academy
  • Coaches: Kai Zhao, Tamer Tahoun, Shuang Meng
• 6th place: Jia Chen
  • V Fencing Club
  • Coaches: Serge Vashkevich and Vlad Lyshkovski
• Tie-42nd: Katerina Lung
  • Moe Fencing Club
  • Coaches: Matteo Zennaro, Elif Sachs, Jason Sachs

Cadet Men’s Foil

• 18th place: Roy Graham
  • Jovanovic Fencing Club
  • Coach: Bojan Jovanovic
• 48th place: Renzo Fukuda
  • Massialas Foundation (MTeam)
  • Coaches: Greg Massialas, Cole Harkness, Lenny Orinsheyn
• 69th place: Castor Kao
  • Star Fencing Academy
  • Coaches: Kai Zhao, Tamer Tahoun, Shuang Meng

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