The momentum of the Rio 2026 Junior & Cadet Fencing World Championships shifted to the men’s side at the Carioca Arena as the United States captured the Junior Men’s Team Sabre World title. On a day characterised by the same scorching temperatures that met the women’s event, 38 national teams took to the pistes to begin the first of the men's team competitions. The second-seeded American squad of Silas Choi, Shaun Kim, William Morrill, and Emilio Partuzo Gonzalez demonstrated elite tactical execution throughout the day to secure the gold medal in a field that saw several of the world's top-ranked programs fall.
The American path to the final was a masterclass in consistency and resilience. After an early 45-24 victory over the Philippines, the USA faced stiff challenges from Hong Kong and Hungary, winning those matches 45-39 and 45-40, respectively. In the semi-finals, they engaged in a high-stakes battle with a surging Turkish side, eventually edging past them 45-42. The gold medal match saw the Americans find another gear against fifth-seeded China. With Silas Choi on the bench for the final, the trio of Shaun Kim, 2025 Cadet individual champion Emilio Paturzo Gonzalez, and the Rio 2026 individual Junior silver medallist William Morrill dominated the proceedings. USA jumped to an early lead and never looked back, claiming the world title with a 45-36 victory. This gold medal continues a strong run for Morrill, who successfully translated his 2023 Cadet bronze and his 2024 individual Junior success into a team world title. It is also the fourth consecutive time that the USA has secured this title.
China’s journey to the silver medal was arguably the most difficult of the tournament. The Chinese roster of Wu Jiasheng, Qin Yuen, Tan Chao, and Zhu Zihao dismantled Czechia and Japan before taking out the fourth-seeded Russian team 45-41. In a stunning semi-final, they toppled the top-seeded Italian team 45-42, preventing a potential USA-Italy showdown. Although they struggled to find their rhythm early in the final against the Americans, the silver medal represents a significant achievement for a Chinese program that has seen a steady rise in results since the mid-2010s.
The story of the day, however, was the historic performance of Türkiye. Competing without a reserve, the trio of Enes Kalender, Candeniz Berrak, and Junior individual champion Furkan Yaman delivered a performance for the ages. Entering as the third seeds, the Turkish fencers fought through a bracket that included wins over Venezuela, Korea, and Romania. Their semi-final against the USA was a thriller where they briefly held a 35-34 lead with two legs remaining before falling 45-42. In the bronze medal play-off against Italy, Türkiye overcame an early 15-10 deficit to lead 40-34 entering the final leg. Despite a fierce rally by Italy’s Leonardo Reale to tie the match at 44-44, Yaman landed the decisive final hit to secure the bronze. This podium finish marks a landmark moment for Turkish fencing; while the nation has seen individual success in recent years, most notably İbrahim Ahmed Acar’s 2017 Cadet World title and Nisanur Erbil's consistent podium finishes, this team bronze represents a new peak for the country's sabre program.
