Team Ukraine's Epée Fencers Are Junior World Champions!

Ukraine's epée fencers beat China's team in the final, 45:34.

Team Ukraine won the team event at the 2025 Junior World Fencing Championship in epée, held April 15 in Wuxi, China. Fencing for the national team on the final competition day were Emilie Conrad, Alina Dmytruk, Valeriia Bilous-Hrizhak, and Anna Maksymenko.

The epée fencers' medal was Ukraine's third at this year's cadet-junior world championship. Earlier, epée fencer Maksym Perchuk won bronze in the junior epée tournament, and Alina Dmytruk became world vice-champion among cadets in the same weapon.

How the Team Event Went for the Ukrainian Epée Team at the 2025 Junior World Championship

• Seeded fifth, Team Ukraine began the competition in the round of 16. At this stage, the national team confidently beat Brazil, 45:25.

• The 'yellow-and-blues'' next opponent was Team Canada. Ukraine held a six-touch lead at the midpoint of the match, but let it narrow to the minimum before the final bout, 25:24. After that, Anna Maksymenko secured the win for the team, 41:37.

• In the quarterfinal, the Ukrainian women faced the fourth-seeded Hungarian team. And although the national team seized the initiative from the start of the match, they once again let their opponents get within striking distance, 33:32. Despite this, in the final bouts, Alina Dmytruk and Anna Maksymenko confidently carried the team into the semifinal, 45:36.

• In the semifinal, Ukraine faced the top-seeded team, the United States. And although the Ukrainian women dominated throughout the match, the Americans never let the team pull more than four touches ahead. At 44:43, Yasmine Khamis tried to attack Anna Maksymenko, but was met with a clean touch in response — 45:43, a win for Ukraine.

• Ukraine's final opponents were the Chinese team. In the first half of the match, the teams were evenly matched, at times even with the hosts ahead. But starting with the sixth bout, the Ukrainian women seized the initiative. In the final duel, Anna Maksymenko won convincingly against Li Xinyao, 15:8. As a result, the Ukrainian women beat Team China, 45:34.

2025 Junior World Fencing Championship Results (Junior Women, Epée)

1. Ukraine

2. China

3. United States

'Gold' at the Junior World Epée Team Championship: What the Medal Means

• The gold medal won by Conrad, Dmytruk, Bilous-Hrizhak, and Maksymenko marked Ukraine's first in epée, and its sixth overall in the history of the Junior World Championship.
• The epée fencers also brought Ukraine its first team gold at the U20 world championship in 15 years. Ukrainian women last managed this in 2010, in Baku, when Olha Kharlan, Olena Voronina, Alina Komashchuk, and Olena Kravatska won gold.
• The World Championship marked the final junior competition of the season for Ukrainian fencers. Earlier, at the continental championship, Anna Maksymenko became European junior epée champion, and Emilie Conrad won bronze.
• The European Championship's team event also ended in a win for the national team.