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ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s men’s fencing team has topped the International Fencing Federation (FIE) world rankings for the first time in the country’s history, following a gold-medal victory at the World Cup stage in Casablanca, Morocco, the Kazakhstan Fencing Federation announced.
Kazakhstan’s men’s fencing team has topped the International Fencing Federation (FIE) world rankings for the first time in the country’s history. Photo credit: National Olympic Committee.
The team opened the 2026-2027 season with the victory, building on a series of major international titles over the past 12 months. Kazakhstan had entered the Casablanca competition ranked third in the world, behind Switzerland and France, but moved to the top after winning the tournament.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev congratulated the team on its achievement, wishing the athletes further success representing Kazakhstan at the world’s most prestigious competitions.
A historic winning streak
Kazakhstan’s rise to the top of the rankings follows a series of victories at major international competitions. In November 2025, the team won gold at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In June 2026, it became Asian champion in New Delhi, India, before claiming the world championship title in Hong Kong in July. In September, the team also won at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
For many years, the leading positions in the men’s team were dominated by established fencing powers, including France, Italy, Hungary and Switzerland. In Asia, Japan and South Korea had previously reached the top of the world rankings. Kazakhstan has now joined that group, marking a first for the country.
Kazakhstan Fencing Federation President Mirbulat Abuov highlighted the significance of the Casablanca victory, particularly because the team competed with a refreshed lineup.
“I would first like to congratulate the athletes, coaches and the entire team on this historic result. What makes this achievement especially valuable is that we competed in Casablanca with a renewed lineup,” Abuov said.
The team consisted of Kirill Prokhodov, Vadim Sharlaimov, Alexander Fedotov and Kirill Pavlov.
“With this lineup, we defeated France, a 23-time world champion in men’s team epee. This is an absolute record in the discipline. Kazakhstan’s victory confirms that our country has not only strong leaders but also young athletes capable of defeating the world’s best teams,” he said.
Road to gold in Casablanca
Kazakhstan began its campaign with convincing victories over Türkiye, 45-20, and Hong Kong, 45-28. In the quarterfinals, the team overcame Egypt 45-39 in a closely contested bout. The semifinal brought a clash with France, one of the most successful teams in the discipline. Kazakhstan took an early lead and maintained its advantage to secure a 45-39 victory.
In the final, Kazakhstan faced Russia, which was competing at a World Cup event under its national flag for the first time after an extended break, according to the federation’s announcement. The Kazakh fencers maintained a narrow advantage throughout the match and won 45-40 to secure the gold medal and the top position in the FIE world rankings.
The result marks a milestone for Kazakhstani fencing, demonstrating the team’s ability to sustain its success at major international competitions while developing younger athletes capable of competing at the highest level.
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