26 medals. That is how many medals the US have won in the Olympics for fencing. Fencing is one of the oldest sports in the world, with the first evidence of swordsmen dating all the way back to ancient Egypt, where swords were used for both war and dueling. Masters of fencing in the 16th century created the three displicents of fencing practiced today. These displicents include Epee, Foil, and Sabre, each with their own set of rules and guidelines. 

In Foil and Sabre there is a rule called “Right of Way.” In essence, if both fencers hit, the rule would determine which fencer gets the point. However, in Epee, if both fencers hit, they both get a point. Another difference the three displicents have is where each fencer can hit. Epee fencers can score on any part of the body while Sabre can only hit from the waist up and Foil can only hit the torso. The first ever fencing competition of the Olympic games was in Athens, Greece 1896, and women’s fencing was introduced to the Olympics in 1924. Lee Kiefer was able to win Women’s Foil Gold for the US in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. 

Even with fencing’s long history, most consider it a niche sport. However, there are plenty of CHS students that participate in fencing within Monmouth county. 

Freshman Oksana Kopylenko of Manalapan, explained how she got into the sport, “I thought playing with swords were cool.” 

While some people get into fencing because of the sport itself, others appreciate fencing for the history it has. 

“I always thought it was a very interesting sport … It’s based off a lot of really old traditions,” said Cameron Fleming, a fencer and Junior from Oceanport Township. 

When teenagers decide to start fencing, it’s not often because they saw a poster at school telling them to join the fencing team. In fact, a lot of high schools do not have fencing teams or clubs for aspiring fencers to pursue this interest. 

“I fence outside of high school sports. My home high school doesn’t have a fencing team, I wish they did though,” Fleming  said.

While most fencers aren’t able to play for their high school, it doesn’t stop them from enjoying the sport. 

“It’s fun. I suck at it, but it’s fun,” Kopylenko joked.