Six days of world-class fencing, unforgettable moments and emotional victories came to an end in Antony, France, as the 2026 European Senior Fencing Championships concluded on Sunday.
Athletes from across Europe competed for twelve individual and team titles, producing dramatic finals, historic achievements and inspiring performances that once again demonstrated the strength and depth of European fencing.
Italy Leads the Way
Italy finished at the top of the medal table with four gold, one silver and two bronze medals. The Azzurri enjoyed success across both individual and team events, highlighted by Simone Mencarelli's Men's Épée individual title and later team gold, as well as team victories in Women's Foil and Men's Foil.
Hosts France concluded the championships in second place with an impressive total of ten medals, the highest overall tally of any nation. The French team delighted home supporters throughout the week, collecting three gold, five silver and two bronze medals.
Hungary and AIN shared third place in the gold medal ranking with one gold, one silver and two bronze medals each, while Ukraine completed the top five after securing five medals, including Olga Sopit's historic Women's Foil title.
Spain, Estonia, Germany, Poland, Romania and Israel also celebrated podium finishes, underlining the diversity and competitiveness of European fencing.
Memorable Moments Across the Week
Over six days of competition, Antony welcomed Europe's finest fencers and delivered everything that makes our sport special: historic victories, emotional comebacks, breakthrough performances and unforgettable finals.
Several athletes wrote remarkable chapters in their careers. Italy's Simone Mencarelli enjoyed a dream championship, becoming a double European champion after capturing both the individual and team Men's Épée titles. Estonia's Katrina Lehis returned to the top of the continental podium eight years after winning her first European crown, while Ukraine celebrated a historic milestone through Olga Sopit, who secured the country's first-ever Women's Foil gold medal at the European Championships.
The team events produced some of the most memorable stories of the week. France delighted the home crowd by winning Women's Épée gold after surviving a spirited Hungarian comeback in a dramatic final, while Hungary confirmed its status as the dominant force in European Men's Sabre by claiming a third consecutive team title.
One of the standout performances of the championships came from Romania's young Men's Sabre team. Twenty years after the country's last European team title in the weapon, Vlad Covaliu, George Dragomir, Radu Nitu and Razvan Ursachi announced themselves among Europe's elite by defeating a strong French squad in the semi-finals. In the final, they pushed the experienced Hungarian team of Aron Szilagyi, Andras Szatmari and their teammates to the limit, eventually falling by just two touches in one of the closest and most exciting team finals of Antony 2026.
Italy's young Women's Sabre team also impressed, overcoming a powerful Hungarian side to secure bronze and underline the bright future of the nation's next generation.
Throughout the week, Olympic champions, world champions, established stars and emerging talents shared the same stage, creating a championship that showcased not only the current strength of European fencing but also the promising future of the sport.
With the European Championships now complete, attention turns to the next major event on the international calendar: the World Championships in Hong Kong.
The European Fencing Confederation congratulates all athletes, coaches, referees, organisers and volunteers who contributed to a successful championship and wishes all European fencers the very best of luck as they prepare for the challenge of competing on the world stage.
Full results from Antony 2026 can be found here:
https://www.fencingtimelive.com/tournaments/eventSchedule/4D384CEBC0574631B404BFA15B1F8C8B#today
