Team USA Veteran Fencers Looking for More Medals at 2023 World Championships

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. —  After a successful 19 medals at the 2022 Veteran World Championships, Team USA is back looking for more medals at the 2023 event — and this time they’re fencing on home soil. 

The 2023 roster for Team USA features 72 veteran fencers — nearly half of whom (35) are returning from the 2022 edition of the tournament. It all takes place Oct. 11–16 at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Fla, and fencing fans from the state and beyond are welcome to come cheer on Team USA.

In the last outing of the Veteran World Championships in 2022, USA Fencing brought home a table-topping 19 medals, including seven gold medals. Team USA edged out both Italy and France in the final medal count.

After showing dominance in several events, especially men’s and women’s saber with a podium finish in every age category, Team USA is looking to put even more athletes on the podium across all weapons and age categories.

The Veterans World Championships features a schedule of two weapons per day, starting with women’s foil and men’s saber. As the event progresses, the schedule will alternate between individual and team competition in a pair of weapons. Each event will feature three age categories: 50-59, 60-69 and 70+. Team USA is sending a full team in every event and every weapon. 

The team competitions at the Veteran World Championships are selected based on results for each individual event, meaning the team selection won’t be finalized until the day before each team event. The full schedule for the competition can be found here.

Of the 72 veteran athletes representing Team USA, 35 athletes are returning looking to continue building on last year’s success.  Julie Seal will represent Team USA in both Vet-50 Women’s Foil and Saber after claiming the individual World Championship in her age category of saber last year. Mark Lundborg took gold in the Vet-60 men’s saber event and claimed the World Championship title in 2022. With both back on the 2023 squad they are looking to defend their titles — this time to the cheers of an expectedly pro-USA crowd. 

Liz Kocab is looking to defend her World Championship title as well after she claimed the Vet-70 Women’s Epee individual title a year ago in Croatia. Along with Kocab looking to defend titles, is Anne-Marie Walters in the Vet-60 Women’s Foil category. After bringing home gold last year Walters is looking to continue adding to her medal collection.

In the team events, four U.S. squads made it to the podium last year. One team — Women’s Epee — even earned gold. Team members included returners Bonnie Aher, Valerie Asher, Liz Kocab and Anne-Marie Totemeier — a squad looking to repeat as world champions in 2023.

Emmanuel Katsiadakis, FIE Interim President, expresses his excitement about the upcoming tournament.

“It is a testament to the enduring and enriching quality of fencing that we have such incredibly athletic and enthusiastic athletes of all ages, and the veterans’ group is no exception. Ours is truly a lifelong sport, including and embracing everyone drawn to the excitement and passion of what it means to be a fencer,” he says. “In particular, the Veteran Fencing World Championships provides an opportunity not only for excellent and thrilling competition, but also to celebrate our global fencing family and friends, old and new.”

The 2023 FIE Veteran World Championships is hosted by USA Fencing Oct. 11-16. Follow USA Fencing’s coverage of the event on social media and here. 

Ann Totemeier 

Michelle Schultz 

Yuliya Ganser 

Sharrie Zafft 

Georgina Love

Valerie Asher

Carole Jeandheur

Amy Montoya

Bonnie Aher

Charlotta Bowie

Liz Kocab

Anna Telles

Aaron Gaines

Jon Normile

Mehmet Tepedelenlioglu

Joe Deucher

Walter Dragonetti

John Varney

Fred Frank

Dick Richards

Daryl Taylor

Thomas Henzler

Charles Schneider

James Newsome

Julie Seal

Jane Carter

Celine De La Foscade-Condon

Bonnie Hennig-Trestman

Anne-Marie Walters

Georgina Love

Jennette Starks-Faulkner

Elizabeth Merritt

Judith Offerele

Joanne Stevens

Deborah Theriault

Muriel Cawthorn

Marek Wyszynski

Frets Olivares

Rafael Suarez

Nathan Anderson

Jamie Douraghy

Paul Epply-Schmidt

John Lawrence

Stephen Gross

Joseph Streb

Thomas Lutton

Joseph Biebel

Frank Thomiszer

Julie Seal

Frauke Berman

Jasmina Denner

Jamie Willemse

Robin Pernice

Heidi Runyan

Jennette Starks-Faulkner

Lydia Fabry

Jane Eyre

Jeannine Bender

Linda Dunn

Judith Offerle

Ilho Choi

Ron Thornton

Stephen Dashnaw

Michael Bacon

Chris Matt

Mark Lundborg

Todd Bukowski

Steven Heck

Joseph Streb

Garik Gutman

David Seuss

Michael Szathmary