A round-up of the 2026 Cadet & Junior World Championships in Rio, that took place from April 1st – 9th. British athletes represented Great Britain across all three weapons, with the squad securing a number of strong individual and team results against the world’s leading U17 and U20 fencers.
The 2026 Junior & Cadet World Championships brought together the top junior and cadet athletes from across the globe for the pinnacle event of the international age-group calendar
Our athletes recorded a number of notable individual results with Tristan Lumineau leading the way with an excellent 7th place finish in Junior Men’s Épée. In the foil events, David Sosnov secured a top-10 finish in Junior Men’s Foil, placing 9th, while Mohammed Belbouab finished 10th in Cadet Men’s Foil. In the cadet events, William Buxton achieved a strong 8th place in Cadet Men’s Sabre, Mary Maguire placed 11th in Cadet Women’s Foil, and Eilidh Paterson recorded an 18th place finish in Cadet Women’s Épée. These performances represent a strong return for the British team at the pinnacle event of the junior and cadet international calendar, underlining the continued development of athletes across the pathway.
Great Britain’s standout performance came in Junior Men’s Foil, where the British quartet of Mohammed Belbouab, David Kelly, Callum Penman and David Sosnov recorded an impressive run to finish 4th overall, narrowly missing out on a medal after reaching the semi-finals.
Junior Women’s Sabre: 139 Entrants
Cadet Women’s Sabre: 94 Entrants
Cadet Men’s Sabre: 111 Entrants
Junior Team Women’s Sabre: 139 Entrants
Junior Women’s Foil: 159 Entrants
Junior Men’s Foil: 177 Entrants
Cadet Women’s Foil: 110 Entrants
Cadet Men’s Foil: 125 Entrants
Junior Team Women’s Foil: Finishing Position 15th / 32 Teams
Junior Team Men’s Foil: Finishing Position 4th / 37 Teams
Junior Women’s Epee: 169 Entrants
Junior Men’s Epee: 204 Entrants
Cadet Women’s Epee: 169 Entrants
Cadet Men’s Epee: 138 Entrants
Junior Team Women’s Epee: Finishing Position 29th / 36 Teams
Junior Team Men’s Epee: Finishing Position 22nd / 45 Teams
British Fencing also recognises the valuable contribution of Sam McLellan and Victoria Mentor, who officiated at the 2026 Junior & Cadet World Championships in Rio de Janeiro as part of the referee team supporting the event. Sam attended in his role as the designated GBR referee, with Victoria, a valued Associate GBR referee, was also selected and both played an important part in ensuring the successful delivery of the championships while representing British officiating on the international stage. Their involvement reflects the continued development of the British refereeing pathway and the importance of officials within the wider high-performance programme.
Pat Aiyenuro, (President of BF) – attended in her role as FIE COMEX member.
Georgina Usher (BF CEO) – attended in her role as FIE Safeguarding Officer.
Karim Bashir worked as part of the commentary team.
The Junior & Cadet World Championships provide an important benchmark for athletes progressing through the British Fencing pathway, offering the opportunity to compete against world-class opposition in a championship environment.
The experience gained in Rio will support the continued development of this cohort as they progress through the international pathway towards future junior, senior and Olympic-level competition.
British Fencing extends its thanks to all GBR coaches who supported the team throughout the championships, providing invaluable guidance and expertise across the competition. We also wish to recognise the vitally important role played by personal coaches in the ongoing development of our athletes, whose commitment and support throughout the season underpin the performances seen on the international stage.
British Fencing congratulates all selected athletes, coaches, referees and support staff involved in the championships.
The main BF webpage about this event is here.
View the results on Fencing Time Live here.
View the livestreams via Fencing TV here.
View photos on the BF Digital Portal here.
Photo Credit: eg #BizziTeam
Click here to view the GBR coaching team that went to Rio.
Don’t miss the latest news. Subscribe to our weekly summary email, The Fencing Digest, featuring the previous week’s latest news and announcements. Sign up here.
