Six Israeli Fencers Reach World Championship Finals Among Top 64 Globally

The Israeli fencing team achieved a significant milestone at the World Fencing Championship, with six Israeli athletes advancing to the final rounds and ranking among the top 64 fencers worldwide. This marks one of the delegation's most notable accomplishments to date.

In men's épée, Liam Habib from Akko Knights reached the finals for the first time in his career, finishing 62nd globally. Other épée competitors included Ran Treitel (Hapoel Kfar Saba) at 67th, Uri Finsterbush (Hapoel Megiddo) at 115th, and Evitar Koren (Hapoel Kfar Saba) at 145th.

All four male sabre fencers qualified for the finals. Dov Wilansky (Maccabi Ma'alot) stood out by advancing to the round of 32 and finishing 23rd worldwide. Jonathan Cohen (Maccabi Ma'alot) placed 42nd, Alon Sarid (Fencing School) 52nd, and Jonathan Masika (Fencing School) reached the finals for the first time, finishing 61st.

In women's épée, Gili Kuritzky (Hapoel Kfar Saba) advanced to the finals, finishing 51st. Mai Tiagonov Kagan (Akko Knights) ranked 80th, Lehi Koren (Hapoel Kfar Saba) 85th, and Shahar Saban (Hapoel Megiddo) 128th. In women's sabre, Nicole Feigen (Maccabi Ma'alot) finished 77th, Dar Hecht (Fencing School) 82nd, Yana Botvinik (Maccabi Modiin) 100th, and Emily Stefanov (Maccabi Ma'alot) 130th. In men's foil, David Fromgertz (Hapoel Ironi Ashkelon) placed 120th.

The six qualifications for the finals, alongside Wilansky's advancement to the last 32 and first-time qualifications for Habib and Masika, highlight a promising World Championship for Israel and demonstrate the progress of Israeli fencing on the international stage. The championship continues with both individual and upcoming team events involving the Israeli fencers.