Fencing: Triple champion Aron Szilagyi stunned, as 16 results revealed

Fencing at the Olympics got off to a thrilling start with a major upset as triple Olympic champion Aron Szilagyi was stunned in an early round, setting the tone for an unpredictable and exciting competition.

The Hungarian's dream of a record-extending fourth men's Olympic sabre individual crown were scuppered, following a shock 15-8 loss in the round of 32 against Canada's Fares Arfa on Saturday. Szilagyi, 34, experienced his first Olympic defeat since Beijing 2008, with the match being observed by US First Lady Jill Biden.

"I'm in a bit of shock right now, so I'm not even disappointed or angry at myself yet," he said. "It happened so fast, and I've never thought that my individual competition here in Paris would be so short.

"It's really a shock. It's like my opponent read me. I was an open book to him. In every touch, what he wanted, it happened. All his parries worked, all his attacks landed."

Paris 2024 produced its first shock with triple Olympic champion Aron Szilagyi suffering defeat. GETTY IMAGES
Paris 2024 produced its first shock with triple Olympic champion Aron Szilagyi suffering defeat. GETTY IMAGES

Szilagyi entered Paris's Grand Palais, the venue for the 2010 fencing world championships, with the confidence of a reigning champion. However, from the outset of his match against a world-ranked 35th opponent, he struggled.

Despite a comeback attempt to close the gap from 6-0 to 6-4, his usual dominance was missing. Even switching sabres mid-match couldn't revive his performance, leaving his 29-year-old Canadian rival and the spectators astonished at the champion's lackluster showing.

"It was like as if he'd been the three-time Olympic champion, and I was some kind of first-time Olympian," said Szilagyi. "Of course, we will watch my match again to understand what really happened, but after some time. Then I'll think of the team event."

Arfa advanced to the quarter-finals after defeating France's 38-year-old Bolade Apithy. Szilagyi wasn’t the only notable casualty; America's 2023 world champion Eli Dershwitz also fell in the last-32 round, losing 15-10 to Hungarian Csanad Gemesi.

Sandro Bazadze speaks out

Sandro Bazadze expressed intense frustration after being eliminated in the last 16 of the men’s sabre event at the Paris Olympics, claiming the referees "killed him for a second time." Bazadze, the Georgian world number one, was infuriated by Spanish referee Vanesa Chichon’s decision, which awarded Egyptian Mohamed Amer a 15-14 victory after reviewing video footage.

Bazadze, who turns 31 on Monday, confronted Chichon aggressively, shouting at her as she left the Grand Palais venue. “For the second time as in Tokyo, the referees kill me,” Bazadze told the media. “In Tokyo they destroyed my life, almost finished my career. But I came back, became world number one, and prepared for the Olympics, and now she kills me.”

His outburst led to boos from the audience, though they shifted to cheers when the public address system announced France’s advancement to the men’s sevens rugby final. Bazadze remained oblivious, continuing to rant and plead with officials.

“My career is finished, it is done,” he lamented. “How can I come back when referees are killing me all the time?” Bazadze, who also felt wronged in Tokyo, hinted he might take further action, swearing on his sons that he would not leave the matter unresolved.

Sandro Bazadze was eliminated in the round of 16 and left furious with the officials. GETTY IMAGES
Sandro Bazadze was eliminated in the round of 16 and left furious with the officials. GETTY IMAGES

A total of 16 athletes booked their place in the finals of the fencing which will take place from July 27 until August 4, with 12 gold-medal competitions being held at the Grand Palais in individual and team epee, foil and sabre.

Men’s Individual Sabre 

Men’s sabre fencers making the top 16 include the following fencers in eight bouts:

Mitchell Saron (USA) vs Ziad Elsissy (EGY) 

Chenpeng Shen (CHN) vs Sangwon Park (KOR) 

Ali Pakdaman (IRI) vs Sanguk Oh (KOR) 

Luca Curatoli (ITA) vs Luigi Samele (ITA) 

Sebastien Patrice (FRA) vs Matyas Szabo (GER) 

Csanad Gemesi (HUN) vs Fares Ferjani (TUN) 

Fares Arfa (CAN) vs Bolade Apithy (FRA) 

Sandro Bazadze (GEO) vs Mohamed Amer (EGY) 



Women’s Individual Epee 

In the women's round of 32, Japan’s Miho Yoshimura defeated China’s Olympic champion Yiwen Sun 14-13 to move forward in the competition.

Women’s epee fencers making the top 16 include the following fencers in eight bouts:

Man Wai Vivian Kong (HKG) vs Hadley Husisian (USA) 

Alicja Klasik (POL) vs Nelli Differt (EST) 

Miho Yoshimura (JPN) vs Vlada Kharkova (UKR) 

Eszter Muhari (HUN) vs Sera Song (KOR) 

Ruien Xiao (CAN) vs Olena Kryvytska (UKR) 

Alberta Santuccio (ITA) vs Coraline Vitalis (FRA) 

Auriane Mallo-Breton (FRA) vs Anne Cebula (USA) 

Marie-Florence Candassamy (FRA) vs Sihan Yu (CHN)