COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — They’ve trained relentlessly, crisscrossed the globe and taken on some of the country’s — and the planet’s — top fencers. When the dust settled and the points were counted, these select few found themselves on top.
We now know five of the six squads (all but Women’s Foil) who will represent Team USA at a pair of important international competitions later this year: the Pan-American Senior Championships and the FIE Fencing World Championships.
These athletes will face the best from around the world as they seek to bring home medals and cement their places in the fencing world.
The Women's Foil team selection process is still underway, with two FIE tournaments remaining before the final roster is set. The Plovdiv World Cup in Bulgaria (May 5–7) and the Shanghai Grand Prix in China (May 19–21) will determine the four members of Team USA's Women's Foil squad.
As for the 20 athletes being named today, they’ve shown determination, skill and sportsmanship throughout the qualification period. And their passion for the sport and drive to succeed have been inspiring to watch.
Our Senior World Team athletes will represent Team USA at the:
2023 Pan-American Senior Championships (Zonals): June 14–21 in Lima, Peru
2023 FIE Fencing World Championships: July 22–30 in Milan, Italy
At these tournaments — and other FIE competitions both before and after throughout the qualification cycle — these fencers will fight for spots on the 2024 Paris Olympic team. The experience and results gained at the Pan-American Senior Championships and the FIE Fencing World Championships will be crucial for these athletes as they aim for Olympic glory.
Here’s the team and how they qualified.
All season long, Team USA athletes have traveled 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. You can also check the Selection Criteria page for even more information. Then visit USA Fencing’s Current Point Standings page. Here, you get a complete look at each fencer’s point totals, updated the Monday after a weekend tournament. 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 women’s saber fencer Elizabeth Tartakovsky as an example. Tartakovsky earned a total of 6,857 points — enough to finish ranked first in her weapon. She earned those points as follows:
Group I: 737 points
Sum of the two highest points earned at Division I NAC events, the 2023 Division I National Championship and competitions in Group II not included in the Group II sum.
368.5 points: 20th place, October 2022 NAC
368.5 points: 20th place, January 2023 NAC
Group II: 6,120 points
Sum of the four highest points earned at designated Senior World Cup and Grand Prix competitions and the 2022 Senior World Championships
2,040 points: Bronze medal, Tashkent World Cup
1,656 points: 7th place, Sint-Niklaas World Cup
1,224 points: 14th place, Tunis Grand Prix
1,200 points: 16th place, Orleans Grand Prix
Sum of Group I and II: 6,857 points
The athletes below are listed in order of their final ranking in the point standings.
Clubs: New York Athletic Club, DC Fencers Club
Current FIE ranking: 27
Birthdate: July 15, 1993
World Championship results:
2009 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Cadet Women's Epee Individual Silver
2010 I. Summer Youth Olympic Games - Cadet Six Weapon Team Bronze
2010 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Women's Epee Team Silver
2012 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Women's Epee Team Bronze
2018 Senior World Championships - Women's Epee Team Gold
Instagram: @katholmes46
Clubs: Peter Westbrook Foundation, Top Fencing Club
Current FIE ranking: 72
Birthdate: Sept. 25, 1993
Instagram: @iwashingtonusa
Clubs: Peter Westbrook Foundation, Fencers Club Inc.
Current FIE ranking: 80
Birthdate: Dec. 15, 1997
World Championship results:
2014 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Cadet Women's Epee Individual Bronze
2016 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Women's Epee Team Bronze
2017 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Women's Epee Individual Silver
2017 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Women's Epee Team Bronze
Instagram: @kasianixon.la
Clubs: New York Athletic Club, New York Fencing Academy
Current FIE ranking: 56
Birthdate: July 3, 1998
Instagram: @anne.cebula
Club: New York Athletic Club
Current FIE ranking: 79
Birthdate: May 13, 1992
Clubs: Swords Fencing Studio, University of Notre Dame
Current FIE ranking: 64
Birthdate: Aug. 23, 1999
World Championship results:
2019 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Men's Epee Team Silver
Instagram: @stephen.ewart
Clubs: Fencers Club Inc., Princeton University
Current FIE ranking: 111
Birthdate: Oct. 18, 2001
World Championship results:
2021 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Men's Epee Team Silver
Instagram: @t_szap
Clubs: Peter Westbrook Foundation, Fencers Club Inc.
Current FIE ranking: 57
Birthdate: Jan. 23, 1996
Instagram: @curtismcdowald
Club: Bluegrass Fencers' Club
Current FIE ranking: 1
Birthdate: June 15, 1994
World Championship and Olympic results:
Instagram: @leetothekiefer
Club: New Jersey Fencing Alliance
Current FIE ranking: 17
Birthdate: July 18, 1994
World Championship and Olympic results:
Instagram: @jackiedubrovich
Club: Peter Westbrook Foundation, Harvard University
Current FIE ranking: 37
Birthdate: Jan. 27, 2003
World Championship results:
Instagram: @saucyscruggs
Club: Fencers Club, Princeton University
Current FIE ranking: 27
Birthdate: Oct. 24, 2002
World Championship results:
Instagram: @maia.weintraub
Club: Massialas Foundation (M Team)
Current FIE ranking: 1
Birthdate: April 20, 1994
World Championship and Olympic results:
2009 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Cadet Men's Foil Individual Bronze
2009 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Men's Foil Team Silver
2010 I. Summer Youth Olympic Games - Cadet Men's Foil Individual Silver
2010 I. Summer Youth Olympic Games - Cadet Six Weapon Team Bronze
2010 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Cadet Men's Foil Individual Gold
2010 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Men's Foil Team Gold
2011 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Cadet Men's Foil Individual Gold
2011 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Men's Foil Individual Silver
2011 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Men's Foil Team Gold
2012 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Men's Foil Individual Bronze
2012 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Men's Foil Team Gold
2013 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Men's Foil Individual Gold
2013 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Men's Foil Team Silver
2013 Senior World Championships - Men's Foil Team Silver
2014 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Men's Foil Individual Bronze
2014 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Men's Foil Team Silver
2015 Senior World Championships - Men's Foil Individual Silver
2016 XXXI. Summer Olympic Games - Men's Foil Individual Silver
2016 XXXI. Summer Olympic Games - Men's Foil Team Bronze
2017 Senior World Championships - Men's Foil Team Silver
2018 Senior World Championships - Men's Foil Team Silver
2019 Senior World Championships - Men's Foil Team Gold
2020 XXXII. Summer Olympic Games - Men's Foil Team Bronze
2022 Senior World Championships - Men's Foil Team Silver
Instagram: @amassialas
Clubs: Massialas Foundation (M Team), Bluegrass Fencers’ Club
Current FIE ranking: 6
Birthdate: July 27, 1990
World Championship and Olympic results:
2008 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Men's Foil Team Gold
2009 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Men's Foil Individual Bronze
2009 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Men's Foil Team Silver
2010 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Men's Foil Individual Silver
2010 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Men's Foil Team Gold
2010 Senior World Championships - Men's Foil Individual Bronze
2015 Senior World Championships - Men's Foil Individual Bronze
2016 XXXI. Summer Olympic Games - Men's Foil Team Bronze
2017 Senior World Championships - Men's Foil Team Silver
2018 Senior World Championships - Men's Foil Team Silver
2019 Senior World Championships - Men's Foil Team Gold
2020 XXXII. Summer Olympic Games - Men's Foil Team Bronze
2022 Senior World Championships - Men's Foil Team Silver
Instagram: @gerekmeinhardt
Clubs: LA International Fencing Center, University of Notre Dame
Current FIE ranking: 11
Birthdate: Oct. 9, 1999
World Championship and Olympic results:
2017 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Men's Foil Team Gold
2018 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Men's Foil Individual Gold
2018 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Men's Foil Team Bronze
2020 XXXII. Summer Olympic Games - Men's Foil Team Bronze
2022 Senior World Championships - Men's Foil Individual Bronze
2022 Senior World Championships - Men's Foil Team Silver
Instagram: @nick_itkin
Clubs: LA International Fencing Center, Fencers Club Inc.
Current FIE ranking: 20
Birthdate: Dec. 3, 1989
World Championship and Olympic results:
2008 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Men's Foil Team Gold
2009 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Men's Foil Team Silver
2013 Senior World Championships - Men's Foil Individual Gold
2013 Senior World Championships - Men's Foil Team Silver
2016 XXXI. Summer Olympic Games - Men's Foil Team Bronze
2017 Senior World Championships - Men's Foil Team Silver
2018 Senior World Championships - Men's Foil Team Silver
2019 Senior World Championships - Men's Foil Team Gold
Instagram: @fencer
Clubs: Manhattan Fencing Center, Harvard University
Current FIE ranking: 16
Birthdate: May 21, 2000
World Championship results:
2016 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Women's Saber Team Bronze
2017 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Cadet Women's Saber Individual Bronze
2018 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Women's Saber Team Silver
Instagram: @elizabethtartakovsky
Club: Oregon Fencing Alliance
Current FIE ranking: 29
Birthdate: Nov. 20, 2005
World Championship results:
2021 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Cadet Women's Saber Individual Gold
2022 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Cadet Women's Saber Individual Gold
2022 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Women's Saber Individual Gold
2023 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Women's Saber Individual Gold
Clubs: Manhattan Fencing Center, Advance Fencing And Fitness Academy
Current FIE ranking: 55
Birthdate: June 5, 1998
Instagram: @maiachamberlain
Club: Nazlymov Fencing Foundation
Current FIE ranking: 42
Birthdate: Sept. 2, 2004
Instagram: @tati.nazlymov
Club: Tim Morehouse Fencing Club
Current FIE ranking: 11
Birthdate: Sept. 23, 1995
World Championship results:
2012 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Men's Saber Individual Silver
2013 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Men's Saber Individual Bronze
2014 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Men's Saber Team Bronze
2015 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Men's Saber Individual Gold
2015 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Men's Saber Team Bronze
2018 Senior World Championships - Men's Saber Individual Silver
Instagram: @eli.dershwitz
Club: Peter Westbrook Foundation
Current FIE ranking: 14
Birthdate: July 16, 1990
World Championship and Olympic results:
2007 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Cadet Men's Saber Individual Bronze
2009 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Men's Saber Individual Bronze
2010 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Men's Saber Team Bronze
2015 Senior World Championships - Men's Saber Individual Silver
2016 XXXI. Summer Olympic Games - Men's Saber Individual Silver
Instagram: @daryldhomer
Clubs: Christian Bauer Academy, Manhattan Fencing Center
Current FIE ranking: 34
Birthdate: Dec. 20, 2005
World Championship results:
2022 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Cadet Men's Saber Individual Silver (Germany)
2022 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Men's Saber Individual Gold (Germany)
2023 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Men's Saber Individual Gold
2023 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Men's Saber Team Gold
Instagram: @colinheathcock
Clubs: Fencers Club Inc., New Jersey Fencing Alliance
Current FIE ranking: 70
Birthdate: Oct. 20, 1998
World Championship results:
2018 Junior/Cadet World Championships - Junior Men's Saber Team Bronze
Instagram: @andrewdoddo
Tag(s): Latest News 2023 Worlds 2023 Zonals