USA Fencing

 (Colorado Springs, Colo.) – USA Fencing is pleased to announce the release of the schedule for the 2021 USA Fencing National Championships and July North American Cup which will be held from July 3-12 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia.

The tournament will include National Championships event in the following categories:

• Division I
• Division IA
• Division II
• Division III
• Junior (Junior Olympics)
• Junior Team (Junior Olympics)
• Cadet Junior Olympics
• Y14
• Y12
• Y10

All competitors must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Athletes that have represented another country in the least three years at FIE level competitions (Senior/Junior and those athletes that represented another country in the Cadet World Championships) are not eligible to compete in a National Championship, unless the athlete has been officially approved by the FIE to represent the USA.

In addition, the tournament will include the first NAC of the season for veteran fencers in the 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, +70, +80 and veteran team categories which will serve as the first qualifier for the 2021 Veteran World Championships. The top four fencers in each weapon in each of the three age categories will be selected according to the Veteran Age Team Point Standings after the Veteran National Championships in August. The next four, in order of their standings, will be named alternates to the team to replace any in the top four unable to accept appointment to the team. Any foreign fencers on the point standings will be removed when determining team standings. The Veteran Age Team Standings, for the 20-21 season, are calculated by the combined points from the Philadelphia NAC and the Veteran National Championships in August.

Senior team events in all weapons also will be held at the NAC. As a reminder, athletes competing in senior team events do not have to represent the same club as the events are not championship events.

Registration Open: May 24

Petition Applications Open: June 8

Petition Applications Close: June 21

Regular Entry Deadline: June 23

Petition Lottery Announced: June 24

Withdrawal Deadline: June 25

Late Entry Deadline: 5 p.m. EDT on the day prior the start of each event

Due to COVID-19 restrictions and to protect the health and safety of all competitors, all events will have a maximum number of competitors. Because of the large number of potential qualifiers, Junior and Y14 events will be open to 320 competitors. All other individual events will be open to a maximum of 210 competitors. Team events will be open to a maximum of 32 teams. Event caps will be assessed by the National Office and the Tournament Committee and may be subject to increase prior to the close of registration.

Due to the lack of competition opportunities in some regions of the country during the COVID-19 pandemic, athletes who were unable to attend qualifying competitions or who did not have qualifying competitions held in their division and / or region will be able to submit a petition for entry into the National Championships.

All athletes whose petitions are approved will be entered into a lottery with names drawn at random for entry into the requested event. All events will be open to petitions with the number of lottery slots available variant based upon size of the event field and the number of qualified registrants. Please note that, per the USA Fencing Athlete Handbook, a fencer who has fenced in the qualifying competition without withdrawing due to a disabling injury or illness cannot then petition to disregard or override those results. In addition, petitions will be denied for fencers who chose to fence in a regional qualifier (RYC, SYC, RJCC, and ROC) over their division qualifier.

A petition may be filed by a fencer who qualified (by means of competition or petition) to that same competition in the prior season or whose recent competitive record indicates a strong possibility that the athlete would have qualified had they been able to compete in the qualifying competition but:

• Was unable to compete in the various qualifying competitions this season due to COVID 19 restrictions, injury, illness, military deployment, study abroad, compulsory school requirements OR
• Did compete and had to withdraw because of a disabling injury or illness OR
• The number of qualifying athletes at a division qualifying tournament changed due to the inclusion of ineligible fencer(s) in the tournament (Note: Athletes who attend a school or university in the United States, outside of their division, shall not constitute inability to compete.)

Petitions will be accepted beginning on June 8 and must be submitted by June 21. The petition application will be available at www.usafencing.org.

For the 2021 USA Fencing National Championships, there will be no petition fee required to apply.

Petitions must include:

• A written statement that gives specific details of the dates, reason for absence or withdrawal, and other pertinent facts. Written notice from the independent attending physician and/or statement from the Bout Committee must substantiate any medical reasons if the medical reason required withdrawal from the qualifying competition.
• A summary of the fencer’s significant recent competitive results. In particular, results in previous National Championships and recent North American Cup (NAC) competitions should be noted. (Example: top 64 international, top 8 in a USA Fencing NAC/Championship, top 16 at a ROC, top 24 at an SYC).

Responses to the petition will be made via email. Petitions that do not meet these requirements will not be considered. Decisions on petitions will be based upon the validity of reasons given for absence or withdrawal and the probability that the fencer would have qualified had they competed in the qualifying competition to its conclusion, based on results achieved in other recent competitions.

If a fencer is permitted to enter the National Championships by this petition procedure, the fencers’ entry will in no way affect the number of qualifiers from the division involved.

Room reservations are available for a discounted rate through USA Fencing partner GroupHousing at https://groups.reservetravel.com/group.aspx?id=39412

Division I National Championships

• Fencers must meet eligibility requirements AND

• Be on the current, or frozen as of March 11 2021 Senior National Rolling Point Standings (NRPS) at the regular fee entry deadline OR
• Be on the current, or frozen as of March 11, 2021 Junior National Rolling Point Standings (NRPS) at the regular fee entry deadline OR
• Be on the current, or frozen as of March 11, 2021, Cadet National Rolling Point Standings (NRPS) at the regular fee entry deadline OR
• Have placed in the top 8 in the 2018-19 season’s Division IA National Championships OR
• Have placed in the top 4 in the 2018-19 season’s Division II National Championships OR
• 2021 NCAA National Championships Individual Competitors (24)
• For EPEE ONLY: the top 3 (on Modern Pentathlon Point Standings) USA Fencing Modern Pentathlon fencers will be eligible to compete in the Division I epee events without qualifying by any other means. USA Modern Pentathlon fencers MUST be USA Fencing members.

Division IA National Championships

• Fencers must meet eligibility requirements AND
• Be on the current or 2019-20 season’s Div IA ROC Regional Point Standings OR

• Be in the top 8 of the current or 2019-20 season’s Division II Regional Open Circuit point standings at the regular fee entry deadline

Division II National Championships

• Fencers must meet eligibility and classification requirements as of the entry deadline AND
• Place in the top 25 percent of the current, or 2019-20 (if held), season’s division qualifying competition OR
• Be on the current or 2019-20 season’s Div IA ROC Regional Point Standings OR
• Be on the current or 2019-20 Div II ROC Regional Point Standings

Division III National Championships

• Fencers must meet eligibility and classification requirements as of the entry deadline AND
• Place in the top 25 percent (round up) of the total number of “D”, “E”, or “U” fencers competing in the current, or 2019-20 (if held), season division’s Division II Qualifying competition (when Division II and Division III qualifying competition held together) OR

• If separate Division III qualifying competition in the current, or 2019-20 (if held) season held by  division, then top 25 percent of the field will qualify for Division III National Championships OR
• Be on the Division IA or Division II Regional Open Circuit point standings for 2019-20 or 2020-21, if classification eligible, at the regular fee entry deadline for these Championships OR
• Place in the top 40 percent at a Div II or Div III NAC of the 2019-20 season, if held
• Qualified for Division II National Championships in current or previous season, if classification eligible

Y10 National Championships

• Participate in a NAC, SYC or RYC in the current season or the 2019-20 season. 

Y12 National Championships

• Be on the Y12 National Point Standings at the regular fee entry deadline OR
• Earn at least 70 Y12 Regional Points during the current 2020-21 season or  the 2019-20 season (Total points in one season = an athlete’s top three point results) OR
• Earn at least 150 Y14 Regional Points during the current 2020-2021 season or  the 2019-20 season (Total points in one season = an athlete’s top three point results) OR
• Rank in 40 percent of the Y12 Regional Point Standings list during the current season

Y14 National Championships

• Be on the Youth 14 National Point Standings at the regular entry fee deadline OR

• Earn at least 150 Y14 Regional Points during the current season or  the 2019-20 season (Total points in a season = an athlete’s top three point results) OR
• Rank in top 25 percent of the Y14 Regional Point Standings list during the current season

Junior Olympic Championships (Cadet)

• Fencers must meet eligibility AND

• Be on the Cadet National Rolling Point Standings (NRPS) at the regular fee entry deadline OR
• Earn at least 110 regional points on either the Cadet or Junior Regional Point Standings (Total points = an athlete’s top two point results) OR
• Be in the top 25 percent (round up) of their division’s Cadet JO qualifying competition for the 2019-20 or 2020-21 season OR
• Be in the top 25 percent (round up) of their division’s Junior JO qualifying competition for the 2019-20 or 2020-21 season. (Junior event must occur first) OR
• Rank in top 25 percent of the Cadet Regional Point Standings list during the current season OR
• For EPEE ONLY: the top 3 (on Modern Pentathlon Point Standings) USA Fencing Modern Pentathlon fencers will be eligible to compete in the JO epee events without qualifying by any other means. USA Modern Pentathlon fencers MUST be USA Fencing members

Junior Olympic Championships (Junior)

• Fencers must meet age eligibility AND
• Be on the Junior national rolling point standings (NRPS) at the regular fee entry deadline OR
• Earn at least 110 regional points on the Junior Regional Point Standing (Total points = an athlete’s top two point results) OR
• Be in the top 25 percent (round up) of their division’s Junior JO qualifying competition for the 2019-20 or 2020-21 season OR
• Rank in top 25 percent of the Junior Regional Point Standings list during the current season OR
• For EPEE ONLY: the top 3 (on Modern Pentathlon Point Standings) USA Fencing Modern Pentathlon fencers will be eligible to compete in the JOI epee events without qualifying by any other means. USA Modern Pentathlon fencers MUST be USA Fencing members

Vet 40, Vet 50, Vet 60, Vet 70+, Vet 80+

• Must meet age eligibility requirements