International Selection Criteria

As you are aware, the following Senior international events have been postponed:

• SME/SWE Budapest

• SMF/SWF Cairo

• SMS Padua

• SWS Athens

We previously announced the TENTATIVE new dates for the events. However, the FIE is still working with each organizer to confirm dates and locations and has not yet published new dates.

Because we do not have confirmed dates yet, we are going to delay the registration deadlines and new selections for each event.

Once the FIE confirms event dates, we will announce new registration deadlines.

Please also note the following:

• As of now, no other events have been postponed.
• The registration deadlines for SMS Budapest and SWS Tashkent will remain as published (March 10). We will make adjustments as needed if either event is changed.
• Normally, we would have published our spring selection criteria notice (which outlines which spring events will count for next year’s teams) by this time. However, due to continued uncertainty surrounding the senior spring events, we are postponing publication of the notice. We will finalize and share the selection criteria once additional information about the event schedule becomes available. Thank you for your patience as we work to ensure the process is as fair and informed as possible

Today, the FIE Executive Committee postponed the following competition:

• SME Budapest Grand Prix, 13-15 March 2026

Budapest is TENTATIVELY rescheduled for the weekend of April 23-26, 2026. The local organizing committees is working diligently to reschedule for these dates. However, alternate dates may be required.

Please note the following for Budapest:

• Registration has been re-opened.
• The new registration deadline is March 10, 2026.
• All athletes have been moved to pending for each event.
• If you previously registered and do not want to be considered for the new dates, please email international@usafencing.org to withdraw.
• NEW selections will be announced on March 11, 2026.
• If you were selected for the original event and are not selected for the new dates and have a flight you can’t use in the future, please contact international@usafencing.org (after new selections are emailed).

The TENTATIVE new dates conflict with the April 24-27, 2026 Div I National Championship & NAC. Please note the following from the men’s and women’s epee selection criteria:

• Should the weekend of the Division I National Championships conflict with a designated Senior World Cup or Grand Prix tournament, or the Junior & Cadet World Championships the Division I National Championships will have a minimum strength factor of .8 and a maximum of 1.1.

As the situation is extremely fluid, please be prepared for further changes, including cancellation, etc. All travelers should consider purchasing travel insurance.

Today, the FIE Executive Committee postponed the following competition:

• SMF/SWF Cairo, 5-8 March 2026
• SMS Padua, 6-8 March 2026
• SWS Athens, 6-8 March 2026

As of now, the SME/SWE Budapest GP is still scheduled as planned. However, the event could very easily also be postponed. Therefore, we encourage anyone with travel plans to Budapest to add travel insurance to their reservations.

The postponed events (Cairo, Padua, Athens) are TENTATIVELY rescheduled for the weekend of April 16-19 2026. Each of the local organizing committees are working diligently to reschedule for these dates. However, alternate dates may be required.

Please note the following for Cairo, Padua and Athens:

• Registration has been re-opened for all events.
• The new registration deadline is March 10, 2026.
• All athletes have been moved to pending for each event.
• If you previously registered and do not want to be considered for the new dates, please email international@usafencing.org to withdraw.
• NEW selections will be announced on March 11, 2026.
• All team travel grants based on original selections will be honored (even if now not selected for team).
• If you were selected for the original event and are not selected for the new dates and have a flight you can’t use in the future, please contact international@usafencing.org (after new selections are emailed).

As the situation is extremely fluid, please be prepared for further changes, including cancellation, etc. All travelers should consider purchasing travel insurance.

As we near our first International Event registration deadline, please note the following important information:

• NEW! Cadet International Event Selections
• Points earned at designated cadet international events while representing any country other than the USA will be removed from the National Points Standings prior to selections. This policy is in place to maximize Team USA international competitions for athletes currently eligible to represent Team USA at the upcoming World Championships.
• You can find this policy in 4.2.1 of the recently published 25/26 Athlete Handbook.
• Important Reminders:
• Cadet and Junior Designated International Events: if you wish to be eligible for selection to the team event, please be sure to register for team BEFORE the regular entry deadline. Team USA can generally enter 5 cadet teams and 1 junior team for each event.
• If you register for an event and need to withdraw, please email international@usafencing.org as soon as possible, but BEFORE the regular entry deadline!
• Athletes who represent Team USA in a designated JUNIOR team event will receive a $500 travel grant.
• According to the Selection Criteria: In order to be eligible for the Junior World Championship TEAM event, athletes must register and make themselves available to fence in at least one Junior team event during the 2025-2026 season (Junior World Cup team events and/or Junior Pan American Zonal team event). If selected, athletes must actually be present at one Junior team event during the 2025-2026 season (Junior World Cup team event and/or Junior Pan American Zonal team event). Athletes who compete in a Senior Team event from September 1, 2025 to the selection date are exempt from the above requirement.

The 25/26 Senior, Junior & Cadet International Calendar is available HERE! Please note: event dates and locations are sure to change, please check back often for updates.

Registration for international events & FIE/EFC License applications are LIVE.

If you are new to international fencing travel, please be sure to check out our Travel 101 Page.

Please reference the calendar, selection criteria and the Travel 101 page and feel free to reach out to international@usafencing.org with any questions.

The 25/26 International Calendar is HERE and updated with registration deadlines & replacement schedule!

Online Registration for all international events will go LIVE on Monday, August 11th.

The 25/26 International Calendar is HERE! This Calendar will change as events are updated/changed/canceled, please check back often.

UPDATE TO MEN'S AND WOMEN'S SABER SELECTION CRITERIA - based on the 25/26 international calendar, both CMS and CWS will now count THREE results in Group II.

See the invitation for the 2025 Pan-American Youth and Veteran Championships here.

The full 25/26 international Selection Criteria will be published in the coming weeks. Please keep an eye on this page for further updates. In the meantime, please see below for important notes regarding qualification to the 2026 Senior, Junior & Cadet World Teams:

2026 Senior World and Zonal Championships

The following spring 24/25 Designated Senior events will count for selection to the 2026 Senior World and Zonal Teams:

• Men’s Epee – n/a (Bogota & Saint-Maur will count for rolling points only)
• Men’s Foil – Vancouver, Shanghai
• Men’s Saber – Seoul, Madrid
• Women’s Epee – n/a (Bogota & Wuxi will count for 2025 Senior Team selection)
• Women’s Foil – n/a (Vancouver & Shanghai will count for 2025 Senior Team selection)
• Women’s Saber – Seoul, Lima

For all senior weapons, the Division I events at the 2025 Summer Nationals/July Challenge will count for rolling points only

See table below for 2025 World Championship results that will count for 2026 Teams.

2026 Cadet & Junior World Championships

• The Cadet events at the March 2025 NAC will count for rolling points only.
• The Division I and Junior events at the April 2025 National Championships and NAC will count for rolling points only for all junior and cadet weapons.
• The Division I, Junior and Cadet events at the 2025 Summer Nationals/July Challenge will count for rolling and team points for all junior and cadet weapons.
• For Men's & Women's Saber only, the final two Designated Senior events of the 24/25 season (Seoul & Madrid/Lima) will count for selection to the 2026 Cadet & Junior Men's & Women's Saber World Championship Team.

See table below for 2025 World Championship results that will count for 2026 Teams.

Go here for selection criteria updates from previous seasons.