TBILISI, Georgia, July 26, 2025 – USA’s two-time Olympic gold medallist Lee Kiefer won the gold medal in women’s individual foil at the 2025 Tbilisi Fencing World Championships and Georgia’s Sandro Bazadze won the gold in men’s individual sabre. It was the second day of finals events, with a total of 12 gold-medal events in women’s and men’s individual and team competition in epee, foil and sabre scheduled between July 22 and 30. The Championships are taking place in Tbilisi’s Olympic Palace, and today’s events included 143 women and 149 men competing in foil and sabre.

The official opening ceremony was held before the semifinals. Shalva Gogoladze, Georgian Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, gave the opening speech, thanking the Georgian Fencing Federation World Championships Organising Committee, and for “putting in the exceptional dedication to ensure the smooth running of the Championships. Thank you to everyone whose work has made it possible for us to host the World Championships today. Thank you also to the government of Georgia, and to the International Fencing Federation for their trust. I wish success to everyone.”

FIE Interim President Abdelmoneim El Husseiny was then introduced, and he stated, “We extend our sincere thanks to the President of Georgia, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Sport, and all esteemed Georgian ministers. We also thank the Georgian Fencing Federation, the organizing committee, and all the volunteers who have made this event possible. These Championships are more than a competition — it is a celebration of excellence, respect, and unity through sport. To all athletes: We are proud of your dedication and wish you success on the piste. And now, as Interim President of the FIE, I declare the 2025 Fencing World Championships open!”

Georgian officials attending the Championships included Mikheil Kavelashvili, President of Georgia; Irakli Kobakhidze, Prime Minister of Georgia; Irakli Chikovani, Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Defense; Paata Salia, Minister of Justice; Tinatin Rukhadze, Minister of Culture; Kakhaber Guledani, Minister of Regional Development; Tea Akhvlediani, State Minister of Georgia for Reconciliation and Civic Equality; Levan Zhorzholiani, Head of Administration; Viktor Sanikidze, Member of Parliament; David Matikashvili, Member of Parliament; Ilia Injia, Member of Parliament; Giorgi Jincharadze, Head of Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia, Georgia; Merab Bazadze, President of the Georgian Fencing Federation; and Nino Jerenashvili, Secretary-General of the Georgian Fencing Federation.

Notable dignitaries from other countries included Head of Mission of the Italian Embassy in Tbilisi Fabiola Albanese; Minister of Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan Yerbol Myrzabossynov; Diplomat of the Italian Embassy in Tbilisi Andrea Cliento; Italian Olympic fencing gold medallist Aldo Montano; and Representative of the Saudi Olympic & Paralympic Committee (SOPC) Ahmad Albesaili.

Officials from the FIE included Secretary-General Gulnora Saidova; Secretary-Treasurer Ferial Nadira Salhi; Vice Presidents Donald Anthony Jr, Novak Perovic, and Henriette Tamas; Executive Committee Members Murat Atali, Paolo Azzi, Rusni Abu Hassan, Velichka Hristeva, Ruben Limardo Gascon (President of the Athletes’ Commission), Nikolay Ivanov Mateev, Yuki Ota (IOC member and Olympic medallist), Arno Perillier Schneider, and Haibin Wang (Olympic medallist); and FIE Confederation Presidents Sheikh Salem Sultan Saqer Mohammed Alqasimi (Asia), Andrea Chaplin (Oceania), Vitaly Logvin (Pan America), Mbagnick Ndiaye (Africa), and Pascal Tesch (Europe).

Kiefer faced France’s Pauline Ranvier in the final bout of women’s individual foil, winning with a 15-4 score. In the semifinal round, Ranvier won against Italy’s Anna Cristino, 15-11, while Kiefer defeated Italy’s Martina Favaretto, 15-10. Of note, in the round of 32, Ranvier beat Italy’s two-time world champion Arianna Errigo, 15-4.

“I’ve been chasing this for so long, and it’s eluded me”, said Kiefer. “To be able to win this as well as the Olympics is awesome. And this was equally challenging to the Olympics but in a different way. A lot of it has to do with the way you’re feeling that day, the matchups you get. While I almost got wrecked in my top-eight bout, somehow my husband, my coach projected energy to me to keep fighting. The Worlds happen more frequently, so I was always hoping.”

Bazadze faced France’s Jean-Philippe Patrice in the final bout of men’s individual sabre, winning with a 15-9 score and the first-ever world title for a Georgian fencer. In the semifinal round, Patrice won against Italy’s Luca Curatoli, 15-13, while Bazadze defeated Egypt’s Ahmed Hesham, 15-10. Of note, in the quarterfinals, Curatoli beat Hungary’s world and three-time Olympic champion Aron Szilagyi, 15-12, and in the round of 32, Poland’s Szymon Hryciuk won against Hungary’s world champion Andras Szatmari, 15-12.

“I’m really happy to be world champion, this is in my home country”, said Bazadze. “All the matches were really difficult, everyone was hard and I respect everyone. I believed in myself, I never give up, I never gave up in my life, all the difficult moments make me stronger. A world champion. I don’t even realize it right now.”

Final rankings in women’s individual foil included Lee Kiefer (USA, gold), Pauline Ranvier (FRA, silver), Anna Cristino (ITA, bronze), Martina Favaretto (ITA, bronze), Eleanor Harvey (CAN), Yuka Ueno (JPN), Martina Batini (ITA) and Jessica Zi Jia Guo (CAN).

Final rankings in men’s sabre included Sandro Bazadze (GEO, gold), Jean-Philippe Patrice (FRA, silver), Luca Curatoli (ITA, bronze), Ahmed Hesham (EGY, bronze), Ziad Elsissy (EGY), Remi Garrigue (FRA), Aron Szilagyi (HUN) and Pietro Torre (ITA).