Ukrainian épée fencers won silver at the World Championships after two dramatic victories
30 July 02:35
Ukraine’s men’s épée fencing team won silver medals at the World Championships being held in Hong Kong. In the final, the Ukrainians lost to the Kazakhstani team, but their journey to the decisive match was one of the most remarkable stories of the tournament. This was reported by the Ukrainian National Fencing Federation, according to "Komersant Ukrainian"
The national team, consisting of Roman Svichkar, Mykyta Koshman, Yevhen Makienko, and Mykhailo Krasniuk, emerged victorious twice from dramatic matches, the outcome of which was decided by a single thrust.
How Ukraine Made It to the Final
The Ukrainians began the competition with a confident 45–35 victory over Sweden.
The most dramatic match was the round of 16 against Poland. Before the final bout, Roman Svitkar was trailing by seven hits, but managed to close the gap and take the match into a tiebreaker, where he secured Ukraine’s victory— 41–40.
The quarterfinal against the world’s No. 2-ranked team—Switzerland—proved to be no less tense.
Before the final bout, the score was tied at 23–23, but Svichkar once again won the decisive bout and secured Ukraine’s spot in the semifinals with a 39–37 victory.
The semifinal against Israel came down to a single jab
In the semifinal, the Ukrainian team faced the Israeli national team.
During the match, the Ukrainians held a seven-touch lead, but their opponents managed to catch up. Once again, a single precise touch by Roman Svichkar in extra time decided the outcome, securing a 45–44 victory and a spot in the final.
Thus, Ukraine advanced to the final of the World Team Épée Championship for the first time since 2019.
Kazakhstan Proved Stronger in the Final
In the final match, Ukraine faced the Kazakhstani national team—the bronze medalist of the 2025 World Championships.
The Ukrainians fell behind right from the opening bouts and tried to close the gap throughout the match, but were unable to catch up to their opponents.
The final score was 40–45.
Despite the loss, the Ukrainian team won silver medals at the world championships.
Ukraine’s sixth medal in men’s team épée
This is Ukraine’s sixth-ever medal at the World Championships in men’s team épée.
For Roman Svichkar, this is the third World Championship medal of his career.
Mykita Koshman won his second World Championship medal.
Meanwhile, Yevhen Makienko and World Championships debutant Mykhailo Krasniuk stood on the World Championships podium for the first time.
Roman Svichkar continues his successful season
This season has been one of the most successful in Roman Svichkar’s career.
In June, he became European champion for the first time, winning a gold medal in Genoa.
Now, the Ukrainian has added a silver medal from the World Championships as part of the national team to his continental title.
