Fencing in 2026
3,035 competitions in 83 countries so far this year, with 388,833 entries and 889,338 scored bouts. This is what they say.
How pool bouts end
Every pool bout to 5, by its score. A bout on time is one where neither fencer reached 5. Each weapon's most common score is in bold.
| Weapon | 5–0 | 5–1 | 5–2 | 5–3 | 5–4 | On time | Bouts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foil | 20% | 23% | 21% | 17% | 14% | 6% | 221,295 |
| Épée | 9% | 16% | 21% | 22% | 23% | 10% | 280,075 |
| Sabre | 16% | 22% | 22% | 20% | 17% | 2% | 175,957 |
Direct elimination
Bouts in tables fenced to 15. The youngest and oldest fencers' tables are often to 10, and are left out.
| Weapon | Ended on time | 15–14 | Won by 10 or more | Average margin | Bouts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Épée | 8% | 10% | 12% | 5.3 | 71,889 |
| Foil | 6% | 6% | 26% | 6.9 | 53,534 |
| Sabre | 0% | 9% | 19% | 6.2 | 44,499 |
Who fences what
Each weapon's and each age's share of entries, and women's share of its entries in men's and women's events.
| Weapon | Share of entries | Women | Entries |
|---|---|---|---|
| Épée | 42% | 41% | 163,118 |
| Foil | 33% | 42% | 127,403 |
| Sabre | 25% | 43% | 98,312 |
| Age | Share of entries | Women | Entries |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior | 30% | 40% | 116,549 |
| 14 and under | 28% | 43% | 109,035 |
| Cadet | 17% | 45% | 66,183 |
| Junior | 15% | 43% | 57,033 |
| Other or unnamed | 7% | 42% | 26,257 |
| Veteran | 3% | 34% | 12,084 |
| Para | 0% | 42% | 1,692 |
The fencers
Every fencer whose results say who they are, across every source that does.
- 46,920
- fencers
- 2
- competitions for the median fencer
- 36%
- fenced at only one competition
- 150
- fenced at 20 or more
- 44
- competitions, the most by one fencer
- 15%
- fenced in more than one country
- 4%
- fenced more than one weapon
In the United States
From AskFRED, which has results back to 2004 and so can tell who is new.
- 20,886
- fencers
- 22%
- had never fenced a tournament on AskFRED before
- 67%
- of last year's fencers have fenced again this year
Ratings earned or renewed this year
| Rating | Fencers |
|---|---|
| A | 960 |
| B | 884 |
| C | 1,306 |
| D | 1,495 |
| E | 2,266 |
Where
The countries with the most entries. fency.events has more American results than any other country's.
| Country | Share of entries | Competitions | Entries |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 42% | 1,506 | 162,649 |
| United Kingdom | 4% | 160 | 17,333 |
| Italy | 4% | 39 | 17,276 |
| Hungary | 4% | 134 | 16,922 |
| Japan | 4% | 96 | 15,072 |
| Hong Kong SAR China | 3% | 62 | 12,412 |
| India | 3% | 43 | 10,304 |
| Türkiye | 2% | 21 | 8,738 |
| Canada | 2% | 35 | 7,687 |
| Poland | 2% | 48 | 7,589 |
| Taiwan | 2% | 21 | 7,142 |
| Thailand | 2% | 29 | 6,644 |
The biggest fields
- 420 Junior Men’s Épée · Summer Nationals and July Challenge · United States
- 406 Junior Men’s Épée · Junior Olympics · United States
- 380 Senior Division I Men’s Épée · February NAC · United States
- 375 Junior Men’s Sabre · Summer Nationals and July Challenge · United States
- 373 Senior Men’s Épée · FIE World Cup, Heidenheim 2026 · Germany
How these are counted
Each competition counts once: an AskFRED competition is left out when Fencing Time has one the same day by a similar name. Fencing Time's results reach back to May 2026. Team events are left out. Figures about fencers come only from results that say who each fencer is, which Fencing Time's don't. Worked out again every hour.