Pan Qimiao of China topped a field of 94 fencers, defeating Yang Shuhan of Hong Kong, China 15–9 to capture gold in the cadet women’s sabre competition at Carioca Arena 1 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
With the victory, Pan completed the rare double, having also won the junior women’s sabre title the previous day.
The main concern for Pan was whether she would feel the effects of a gruelling junior competition, particularly heavy legs. Instead, it was early nerves that nearly led to her elimination. In the round of 32, she found herself tied 10–10 with Irmak Senoglu of Türkiye before pulling away for a hard-fought 15–12 win.
Pan later admitted to feeling nervous, especially given her close 15–10 bout with Senoglu in the junior event the day before. Once she cleared that hurdle, however, she settled in and cruised to the top of the podium.
In the semifinals, Pan defeated Anastasiia Isakova of Russia 15–9, while Yang advanced with a 15–12 victory over Australia’s Zara Djamirze in a tightly contested match.
Both Isakova and Djamirze earned bronze medals. Djamirze’s result was particularly significant, as she became the first Australian female fencer to win a medal at the junior or cadet World Championships.
Final Rankings – Cadet Women’s Sabre
Pan Qimiao (CHN, gold), Yang Shuhan (HKG, silver), Anastasiia Isakova (RUS, bronze), Zara Djamirze (AUS, bronze), Jeon Yuju (KOR), Karolina Mejlun (POL), Li Wanxuan (CHI), Anna Suvorova (UKR).