Foil, Individual, Men

Hong Kong’s Ka Long “Edgar” Cheung was the defending gold medalist. He had won the 2022 Asian Games and was 2022 Asian Champion, adding a bronze medal that year at the World Championships. He was expected to be challenged by American Nick Itkin, silver medalist at the 2023 World Championships and world ranked #1, and the last two World Champions, Enzo Lefort of France, who won in 2019 and 2022, and Italy’s Tommaso Marini, the 2023 World Champion who was seeded #1 in Paris.

Of the favorites, Marini went out first, losing in the third round to France’s Maxime Pauty by 15-14. Cheung and Lefort met in the quarter-finals, with Cheung also winning by 15-14. The semi-finals came down to Cheung versus Japan’s Kazuki Iimura, and Itkin against Italian Filippo Macchi. Both matches were decided by 15-11 scores, with Cheung making the finals, but Macchi upsetting Itkin.

The final was very close, with Cheung prevailing over Macchi, 15-14. In the bronze medal match, Itkin had an easier time of it, defeating Iimura 15-12. Cheung’s victory made him the third male foil fencer to win consecutive gold medals, after Nedo Nadi (ITA) (1912-20), and Christian d’Oriola (FRA) in 1952-56. Macchi’s medal was the 23rd in the event for Italy, trailing only France, with 25.