July 27 Olympics Preview: Women's Epee, Men's SaberU.S. Olympic Fencing TeamOlympic Games Schedule

PARIS, France — A defending world champion at his third Olympics joins five Olympic debutants to represent Team USA on fencing’s opening day.

Fencing at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 gets underway on Saturday at the 8,000-seat Grand Palais, located on the banks of the River Seine, about a mile’s walk from the Eiffel Tower. The building, which opened in 1900 for the Paris Universal Exhibition, features a glass roof and nave created out of 6,000 tons of steel. 

Under that stunning glass roof, Team USA will make its fencing debut at this year’s Olympics. The lineup for July 27 includes three-time Olympian Eli Dershwitz (Sherborn, Mass.), the defending world champion in men’s saber, plus a group of five U.S. fencers who have already proven themselves at some of the biggest tournaments in fencing.

As we covered in our tournament format explainer, the individual competition begins with an incomplete tableau of 64. All six Team USA fencers have byes past that first Round of 64 and into the Round of 32. 

That means a couple of extra hours of sleep for Team USA fans, who can set their alarms for 5:15 a.m. ET (10:50 a.m. Paris time) to catch the Women’s Epee Round of 32.

That’s followed immediately by the Men’s Saber Round of 32, beginning at 6:30 a.m. ET (11:15 p.m. Paris time). 

After that, competition continues uninterrupted through the quarterfinals. Then there’s a two-hour break so the morning/afternoon session ticket holders can leave and make way for the evening session attendees.

The evening session begins at 1 p.m. ET (7 p.m. Paris) with the semifinals, bronze medal bouts and gold medal bouts, followed immediately by the victory ceremonies for each weapon.

All bouts are streamed live on Peacock and NBCOlympics.com (streaming schedule), with bronze and gold medal bouts also airing on USA Network.

Find the full bracket here and watch live here or on Peacock

• Table of 32: Starts at 4:50 a.m. ET (10:50 a.m. Paris)

  • Anne Cebula vs. Fiamingo (ITA) 5:40 a.m. ET (11:40 a.m. Paris), Green Strip

  • Hadley Husisian vs. Brunner (SUI) 5:15 a.m. ET (11:15 a.m. Paris), Blue Strip

  • Margherita Guzzi Vincenti vs. Kharkova (UKR) 5:15 a.m. ET (11:15 a.m. Paris), Green Strip

• Table of 16: Starts at 8:10 a.m. ET (2:10 p.m. Paris)
• Quarterfinals: Starts at 9:50 a.m. ET (3:50 p.m. Paris)
• Semifinal 1: Starts at 1:00 p.m. ET (7:00 p.m. Paris)
• Semifinal 2: Starts at 1:25 p.m. ET (7:25 p.m. Paris)
• Bronze Medal Bout: Starts at 2:40 p.m. ET (8:40 p.m. Paris) — Also on USA Network
• Gold Medal Bout: Starts at 3:30 p.m. ET (9:30 p.m. Paris) — Also on USA Network

Find the full bracket here and watch live here or on Peacock

• Table of 32: Starts at 6:30 a.m. ET (12:30 p.m. Paris)

  • Colin Heathcock vs. Park (KOR) 6:30 a.m. ET (12:30 p.m. Paris), Yellow Strip

  • Eli Dershwitz vs. Gemesi (HUN) 7:45 a.m. ET (1:45 p.m. Paris), Yellow Strip

  • Mitchell Saron vs. Pianfetti (FRA) 6:55 a.m. ET (12:55 p.m. Paris), Blue Strip

• Table of 16: Starts at 9 a.m. ET (3:00 p.m. Paris)
• Quarterfinals: Starts at 10:15 a.m. ET (4:15 p.m. Paris)
• Semifinal 1: Starts at 1:50 p.m. ET (7:50 p.m. Paris)
• Semifinal 2: Starts at 2:15 p.m. ET (8:15 p.m. Paris)
• Bronze Medal Bout: Starts at 3:05 p.m. ET (9:05 p.m. Paris) — Also on USA Network
• Gold Medal Bout: Starts at 3:55 p.m. ET (9:55 p.m. Paris) — Also on USA Network

The Women’s Epee competition features three Olympic newcomers: Anne Cebula (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Hadley Husisian (Oakton, Va.), and Margherita Guzzi Vincenti (Hartland, Wis.).

But these women are no strangers to high-pressure fencing moments.

Cebula (Columbia) and Guzzi Vincenti (Penn State) are each NCAA individual champions, while Husisian is the first Team USA athlete in history to repeat as a Junior Epee World Champion (2022, 2023).

Cebula, Husisian and Guzzi Vincenti will look to bring Team USA its first ever Olympic medal in the Women’s Epee individual event. 

Men’s Saber fencers Dershwitz, Colin Heathcock (Beijing, China) and Mitchell Saron (Ridgewood, N.J.) also are looking to make history and get the United States its first ever gold medal (individual or team) in Men’s Saber. In fact, the last American man to win Olympic gold in any fencing weapon was Albertson van Zo Post, an Olympic champion in the now-defunct single sticks event at the 1904 Games.

Dershwitz, 28, was the youngest member of the U.S. Olympic Fencing Team in Rio (at 19). In Paris, he’s now the squad’s veteran leader, flanked by 18-year-old saber sensation Heathcock and Harvard standout Saron, 23.

Eli Dershwitz is the only Team USA fencer competing on July 27 who has fenced at previous Olympic Games.

Eli Dershwitz, Men’s Saber: Third Olympics

• Rio 2016: 

  • Individual: 19th Place, lost to Seppe van Holsbeke (BEL) in Round of 32

  • Team: No Men’s Saber Team event contested in Rio

• Tokyo 2020: 

  • Individual: 9th Place, lost to Kim Jung-hwan (KOR) in Round of 16

  • Team: 8th Place

• Women’s Epee

  • The women's individual epee event is the only current Olympic women's or men's fencing event (individual and team) in which the United States has never won an Olympic medal.

  • All three Team USA Women’s Epee fencers medaled at their final competition before the Olympics: the 2024 Pan-American Senior Championships. Margherita Guzzi Vincenti took gold, Hadley Husisian silver and Anne Cebula bronze.

  • As of the start of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, no woman born after Jan. 1, 2000, has won an Olympic medal in fencing. Hadley Husisian was born July 26, 2003.

• Men’s Saber

  • At 18 years old (born Dec. 20, 2005), Colin Heathcock is the youngest fencer in the Men's Saber event by more than two years. 

  • Team USA has never won a gold medal in men’s saber (individual or team). Its best results in this event at the Games are silver medals by William Grebe (1904) and Daryl Homer (2016). Team USA also claimed two individual bronze medals (1904, Albertson van Zo Post and 1984, Peter Westbrook).

  • Eli Dershwitz is looking to become the first reigning world champion in the men's individual saber event to win the Olympic gold medal in this event since Jean-Français Lamour (FRA) at the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games.

  • At the most recent competition before the Olympics, the 2024 Pan-American Senior Championships, Eli Dershwitz took gold and Mitchell Saron silver. Colin Heathcock did not travel to Lima, opting to continue training in Orléans, France, instead.

See the detailed schedule here and the broadcast schedule here.

Saturday, July 27

Women’s Epee

• Anne Cebula (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
• Hadley Husisian (Oakton, Va.)
• Margherita Guzzi Vincenti (Hartland, Wis.)

Session Start Times:
Round of 32: 4:50 a.m. ET (10:50 a.m. Paris)
Medal Rounds: 1 p.m. ET (7 p.m. Paris)

Streaming/Broadcast:
Live on Peacock with select bouts on USA Network

Saturday, July 27

Men’s Saber

• Colin Heathcock (Beijing, China)
• Eli Dershwitz (Sherborn, Mass.)
• Mitchell Saron (Ridgewood, N.J.)

Session Start Times:
Round of 32: 6:30 a.m. ET (12:30 p.m. Paris)
Medal Rounds: 1:50 p.m. ET (7:50 p.m. Paris)

Streaming/Broadcast:
Live on Peacock with select bouts on USA Network

Birthday: July 3, 1998 

Hometown: Brooklyn, N.Y.  

College: Columbia University  

Current FIE World Ranking: 28

About Anne:

A Brooklyn native who loves fencing in the metropolitan area ... Began fencing at age 15 after being enthralled by fencing while watching the 2008 Olympics ... Shortly after became a two-time Division I national champion in women's epee team in 2016 and won a second championship in 2023 ... Two-time All-America honoree ... Claimed the 2019 NCAA Women's Epee National Champion at Columbia University while enrolled at Barnard College ... Became the first Barnard College student-athlete to claim an individual NCAA national title in any sport ... Trains at the New York Athletic Club and the New York Fencing Academy.

Birthday: Sept. 12, 1990  

Hometown: Milano, Italy  

College: Penn State University  

Current FIE World Ranking: 13

About Margherita:

Won a gold medal at the 2023 Legnano World Cup ... Was a four-time All-American at Penn State University from 2010-2013, winning an NCAA Championship in women’s epee as a freshman and finishing in the top 3 in the nation in all three remaining years, including a second-place finish in 2012 ... Born in Milan, Italy, became a member of the Italian National Team at the age of 14 and competed in over thirty Junior and Senior World Cup tournaments, winning four gold medals ... Moved to the United States in 2010 after receiving a scholarship from Penn State and now resides and trains in Hartland, Wis., a suburb of Milwaukee ... Granted U.S. citizenship in 2019 and has helped lead the U.S. National Team to top finishes at key tournaments.

Birthday: July 26, 2003  

Hometown: Oakton, Va.  

College: Princeton University  

Current FIE World Ranking: 19

About Hadley:

The 2024 Paris Games will be her first following a standout freshman season at Princeton where she finished third at the NCAA Championships and earned first team All-Ivy Honors ... Became the 18th Princeton fencer ever to qualify for the Olympic Games ... Took a gap year at Princeton to prepare for the 2024 Olympics ... Is the first Team USA athlete in history to repeat as a Junior Epee World Champion (2022, 2023) ... Ranked No. 1 in the world for Junior Women’s Épée in 2022.

Birthday: Sept. 23, 1995  

Hometown: Sherborn, Mass.  

College: Harvard University  

Current FIE World Ranking: 3

About Eli:

The Olympic Games Paris 2024 will be his third Olympics (2016, 2020, 2024) ... Followed his older brother Philip into fencing and took to the sport immediately ... At 19, was the youngest member of the 2016 Olympic Fencing Team ... At Harvard, won four Ivy League titles and two individual NCAA championships ... Only American men's saber fencer to ever finish a season ranked No. 1 in the world ... Coaches at the Tim Morehouse Fencing Club and at NYU ... In 2023, became the first American man to win a world championship in Men’s Saber.

Birthday: Dec. 20, 2005  

Hometown: Beijing, China  

College: Harvard University (Class of 2028)  

Current FIE World Ranking: 29

About Colin:

The 18-year-old prodigy won two gold medals at the 2023 Junior & Cadet Worlds ... He is a two-time Junior Men's Saber World Champion (2022 with Germany, 2023 with USA) ... Finished the 2022-23 season as the world's No. 1-ranked Junior Men's Saber fencer ... Captured Bronze at the Senior World Championship in 2023 (Team) ... Won his first senior medal (gold) at the 2024 Tunis Grand Prix ... Originally from Beijing, China, and currently resides in both Orleans, France and New York ... Trains at the Christian Bauer Academy (Orleans, France) and the Manhattan Fencing Center ... Is committed to Harvard University and will join the Class of 2028..

Birthday: Dec. 6, 2000  

Hometown: Ridgewood, N.J. 

College: Harvard University  

Current FIE World Ranking: 18

About Mitchell:

A star for the Harvard Crimson fencing team who tallied three first-team All-Ivy League honors and two All-

American selections ... Was a member of the Senior World Championship team that captured a team bronze in 2023 ... Currently trains at the New York Athletic Club ... Love for saber fencing was inspired by his love for the Star Wars trilogy ... Hobbies include playing the piano and guitar, as well as video games and skiing.