USA Fencing Shares Final Findings from Independent Saber Investigation

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — USA Fencing has received the final findings from a monthslong independent investigation into alleged bout manipulation in saber, resulting in, among other actions, the immediate referral of a complaint against one individual to the USA Fencing Grievance and Discipline Committee.

The independent investigators of Aequitask LLC and Prince Lobel Tye and labor economists at Edgeworth Economics submitted final public reports finding no substantial evidence of manipulation by or on behalf of the athletes in question that impacted the Olympic qualifying period. (The Paralympic division was not a focus of the investigation.) The main report is available here, and the Edgeworth statistically analysis is available here. 

In addition to the final public report, the Aequitask/Prince Lobel team also submitted separate confidential reports summarizing fact-finding on individually implicated coaches and/or referees. As a result, USA Fencing is initiating at least one disciplinary proceeding immediately and contemplating additional next steps to address concerns of member compliance with USA Fencing’s Code of Conduct and USA Fencing Rules. The potential violations do not affect the conclusions in the public reports regarding bout manipulation in the Olympic or Paralympic qualifying periods.

The independent investigators, who began their work in March 2024, received 17 hotline tips, reviewed hundreds of witness documents, conducted 67 witness interviews, and submitted interim reports in April and June. The Edgeworth Economics team analyzed data on saber referee assignments and outcomes and considered additional statistical analyses forwarded by members of the saber community.

• Grievance & Discipline Committee referral: USA Fencing will immediately refer one individual to the Grievance and Discipline Committee pursuant to the USA Fencing Code of Conduct. Grievance and Discipline Committee proceedings and their related due process requirements extend to all USA Fencing members.
• No direct evidence of athlete involvement: After their extensive investigation, investigators found no evidence, much less a preponderance of the evidence, that U.S. athletes directly participated in or solicited bout manipulation.
• Limited evidence of referee manipulation: While some evidence of questionable refereeing practices was found, including a disciplinary action against referees at the San Jose NAC, the preponderance of evidence did not show that any other referees were involved or that USA Fencing member athletes benefited from manipulation during the Olympic qualifying period.
• No statistically significant data of referee assignment irregularities or unearned benefits: The Edgeworth Economics report found no significant and systematic difference in the referee assignment process or outcomes favoring specific athletes during the relevant period.
• Trust in the USA Fencing referee cadre: The investigation found widespread trust and confidence in the ethical conduct of USA Fencing’s saber referee cadre both from domestic and international witnesses. 

The investigators noted that they encountered significant procedural and substantive challenges in this complex investigation leading to significant delays beyond the original anticipated reporting date, including unexpectedly strong witness participation, Olympic year timing considerations, and jurisdictional issues. They were repeatedly told by witnesses that manipulation in saber was “easy to do and hard to prove.” 

Plus, judging saber fencing is, by its very nature, subjective — meaning the referee has a substantial degree of discretion in awarding touches. The report also discussed the widely accepted "Field of Play Doctrine," which generally discourages post-bout review of refereeing decisions. Adding to these factors was the small sample size of data available for statistical analysis and the inherent limitations of video replay in capturing the nuances of lightning-fast saber actions.

While the public reports did not find sufficient evidence of bout manipulation that impacted Olympic Qualification in saber, the investigators offered recommendations drawn from multiple interviews with community members committed to strengthening the integrity of saber fencing and mitigating manipulation concerns — both real and perceived. 

These recommendations included:

• Increased use of technology, such as video capabilities, or AI backup on all strips, to improve transparency, and support for our Referees.  
• Additional resources being made available to Referees for continued development and training to the extent possible.
• The report complimented the ethical conduct and focus on referee ethics by the USA Fencing Referee commission, and recommended a continued focus on Referee oversight mechanisms, referee development and a continued focus on ensuring the high standard of ethical conduct amongst US referees is maintained.
• Establishing a mechanism for expert review of controversial officiating decisions
• Improving reporting procedures and whistleblower protections.
• Addressing, where reasonably possible, potential conflicts of interest arising from overlapping roles between coaches, referees and athletes in the saber community.
• Building coalitions with other national fencing federations to address manipulation concerns on a global scale, and the implementation of independent monitors at international competitions. 
• Further enhancing enforcement of the USA Fencing Code of Conduct and Fencing Rules through appropriate Grievance and Discipline Committee proceedings

By implementing the outlined steps, USA Fencing plans to improve transparency, accountability and trust within the sport. We are also sharing relevant information with officials at the International Fencing Federation (FIE), United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). USA Fencing will continue to engage the saber community in open discussions to enhance the integrity of saber competitions here and abroad.

In reviewing the report, USA Fencing CEO Phil Andrews remains confident in the resilience of the fencing community to unite and address these concerns.

“By working together, I’m optimistic that saber fencing can emerge stronger and more resilient. We are also mindful of the toll this has taken on our saber athletes, referees and coaches, and we appreciate the general sense from the community of the need for this report, despite the time and effort involved in completing the investigation,” Andrews says. “Even though the completion of this report closes this immediate chapter, USA Fencing emerges with a renewed commitment to integrity and the spirit of sportsmanship.”

USA Fencing is grateful for the patience, professionalism and honesty from our community throughout the process.