Lotti Horvath of Hungary successfully defended her Cadet Women’s Épée World Championship title—first won in Wuxi, China in 2025—by defeating Natalya Cafasso of the United States, 15–8, at Carioca Arena 1 in Rio de Janeiro.
Competing in a field of 129 fencers, Horvath’s toughest test came in the semifinal against Ukraine’s Alina Dmytruk, whom she had defeated for gold in Wuxi. In a tightly contested, back-and-forth bout, Horvath prevailed 15–12, showcasing her command of distance and using her reach advantage to secure key double touches while holding the lead.
In both the semifinal and final, Horvath demonstrated a sophisticated tactical arsenal, mixing in well-timed toe touches and intentional remises on her way to the top of the podium.
In the other semifinal, Cafasso combined frenetic footwork with strong bladework to defeat Canada’s Yanka Sobus, 15–9.
Dmytruk and Sobus each earned bronze medals.
Notably, Horvath, Cafasso, and Dmytruk all reached the quarterfinals of the Junior competition the previous day, underlining their status as leaders of the next generation in women’s épée. Canada’s Julia Yin—2025 Junior World Champion—also fits into that group, having reached the quarterfinals in both the Junior and Cadet events. Yin’s run in the Cadet competition ended in the round of eight with a 15–12 loss to Cafasso.
Final Rankings – Cadet Women’s Épée
Lotti Horvath (HUN) – Gold
Natalya Cafasso (USA) – Silver
Alina Dmytruk (UKR) – Bronze
Yanka Sobus (CAN) – Bronze
Julia Yin (CAN)
Francesca Aina (ITA)
Adela Bartoskova (CZE)
Viktoria Nikiforov (GER)