Kazakh fencers have concluded their individual competitions at the World Championships in Hong Kong without high results. Sofia Aktayeva placed 49th in foil, and Artyom Sarkisyan finished 51st in sabre, according to infohub.kz.
Aktayeva was the only Kazakh foil fencer to advance past the preliminary rounds. However, in the round of 32, the team leader lost to American Josephine Conway 10-15, finishing 49th.
Kazakh sabre fencers also struggled in the same round. Artyom Sarkisyan lost to China's Zhengpeng Shen 8-15, Kuanysh Yergashbay fell to compatriot Zhenhao Wei 7-15, and Nazarbay Sattarkhan was defeated by Paris 2024 Olympian from South Korea's Do Gyeong-dong 9-15. In the final standings, Sarkisyan placed 51st, Yergashbay 53rd, and Sattarkhan 56th.
The medalists in the individual foil and sabre events will be determined this evening. Team competitions in these disciplines will take place on July 30, the final day of the tournament in Hong Kong.
The World Fencing Championships are being held for the 71st time. The first world championship took place in 1921. Twelve medal sets are up for grabs. The first medalists were determined on July 25, with the second set awarded yesterday. The prize fund for the 2026 World Championship is $1.02 million.
The full lineup of the Kazakhstan national team is available on the website.