Stage set for world’s top fencers as Wuxi hosts 2018 World Fencing Championships

The Championships, to be held until 27 July, will take place at the Wuxi Sports Center Gym in in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, and has drawn the leading fencers from across the globe who are set to compete in 12 individual and team events in epee, foil, and sabre.

The journey many hope will lead them to the Senior World Championship podium begins with three days of preliminary competition held in the individual events of all three weapons. While the top 16 fencers in each event are exempt from pools, hundreds of fencers will remain in the mix on the opening days of competition as they look to advance to the table of 64 rounds which will begin on Sunday 22 July.

The top 16 fencers after the pool rounds will automatically join the 16 exempt fencers to make the top 32 seeds in the table of 64. Those who survive after the pools will then advance to the preliminary tables which will include single elimination rounds until the final 32 qualify for the remaining positions in the table of 64.

Sunday 22 July will see the women’s individual epee and men’s individual sabre competitions go from the table of 64 stage to reach their conclusion. A day later on Monday 23 July it is the turn of those remaining in the men’s individual epee and women’s individual foil to do likewise, ahead of a busy day on Tuesday 24 July. Here will see the last of the individual competitions with the final stages of the women’s individual sabre and men’s individual foil, plus the start of the team events with both the women’s team epee and men’s team sabre which go down from the table of 32 round to the last 16.

Wednesday 25 July has the final rounds to decide the medals of the women’s team epee and men’s team sabre, plus the start of the women’s team foil and men’s team epee competitions.

They both reach a climax a day later as well as welcoming the opening heats of the men’s team foil and women’s team sabre which carry on over into the final day of action on Friday 27 July, which includes the closing ceremony.