Open Letter to the International Fencing Federation (FIE) from over 440 International Fencers
Global Athlete has been asked to release this letter on behalf of over 440 international fencers from 40 countries. A total of 338 signatories are active athletes, and 208 have agreed to have their names published.
17 July 2025
To the Leadership of the FIE,
We write to express our deep concern and disagreement with the FIE’s recent decision to stop conducting independent, thorough checks on Russian and Belarusian athletes applying for Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN) status, instead accepting only a signed declaration of peace and neutrality.
This approach fails to provide sufficient safeguards to ensure that the fencing piste is not used in ways that could undermine the integrity and neutrality of our sport. By removing comprehensive background checks, the FIE risks allowing individuals whose affiliations or actions conflict with the values of neutrality and non-violence to compete under a neutral status. This risks creating a perception of inaction or inconsistency within the international sports community.
The FIE’s decision contradicts the core principles of fencing—respect, integrity, and fair play—and deviates from the approach originally taken by the international sporting community, including both the FIE and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which established strict eligibility criteria for Russian and Belarusian athletes following the outbreak of war in Ukraine.
We acknowledge the complexity and sensitivity of the international situation. However, given the ongoing war in Ukraine and Russia’s continued military aggression, we question whether the conditions that justified strict eligibility standards for Russian and Belarusian athletes have genuinely changed—or whether these standards are being relaxed for reasons incompatible with the principles of neutrality and fairness.
As stated by over 300 international fencers in March 2023: “The international community is acutely aware that for Russian and Belarusian athletes, there is no distinction between the athlete and the state. Many have been encouraged to participate in the war by the Russian Olympic Committee; a large number hold military or law enforcement positions and are beneficiaries of state funding—drawing their pay from Putin’s war chest—making any separation between state and athlete implausible.” This reality remains unchanged, and without rigorous eligibility criteria, we risk seeing supporters of the war competing on our pistes.
Furthermore, the FIE’s recent decision to allow teams from Russia and Belarus to participate in competitions—composed of athletes holding AIN status but perceived as representing their nations in practice—blurs the lines between neutrality and national affiliation.
We, the undersigned athletes, do not agree with the FIE’s recent decisions on eligibility criteria for Russian and Belarusian athletes. We were neither consulted nor involved in these decisions and thus feel compelled to publicly state our position.
As athletes, we are not mere participants—we are the sport, and we share responsibility for upholding its values. Therefore, we call on the FIE to:
Immediately reverse its decision to reinstate Russian and Belarusian athletes and resume thorough reviews and checks for every athlete applying for AIN status;
Align its policies with the broader Olympic community’s standards on neutrality and eligibility;
Ensure meaningful athlete consultation in decisions affecting the ethical integrity of international competitions.
We emphasize that our position is not directed against individual athletes but is founded on a commitment to fairness, transparency, and consistency in governance. We recognize that these athletes are not the architects of this war and acknowledge the burden that strict sanctions and requirements impose on them. Yet, this burden is minimal compared to the suffering endured by every Ukrainian.
In times of war, we believe that defending fundamental human rights—including the right to live and compete in peace—must remain at the heart of all sporting decisions.
Out of concern for potential negative repercussions against individual athletes, we have kept open the option to sign this letter anonymously.
Sincerely,
Hundreds of International Fencers from Around the World
— For media enquiries, please email media@globalathlete.org —
Below are the 208 fencers who agreed to have their names published. The additional 239 have requested to remain anonymous.
Olga Kharlan, Ukraine, Sabre, Current
Lee Kiefer, USA, Foil, Current
Michał Siess, Poland, Foil, Current
Gerek Meinhardt, USA, Foil, Current
Eva Lacheray, France, Foil, Current
Zuzanna Cieślar, Poland, Sabre, Current
Kryvytska Olena, Ukraine, Épée, Current
Alina Komashchuk, Ukraine, Sabre, Current
Léa Krüger, Germany, Sabre, Current
Piotr Kaśków, Poland, Foil, Current
Aleksander Ochocki, USA, Sabre, Retired
Bakastova Yuliia, Ukraine, Sabre, Current
Karolina Cieslar, Poland, Sabre, Retired
Olena Kravatska, Ukraine, Sabre, Current
Sylwia Matuszak, Poland, Sabre, Current
Mitsuki Suto, Japan, Sabre, Current
Luigi Samele, Italy, Sabre, Current
Kanae Kobayashi, Japan, Sabre, Current
Rebecca Loban, Estonia, Foil, Current
Dariia Myroniuk, Ukraine, Foil, Current
Anna Vuorinen, Finland, Épée, Current
Sarah Schremmer Larsen, Denmark, Épée, Current
Patrick Dight, Ireland, Foil, Current
Leopold Mogg, Germany, Sabre, Current
Fatma Zehra KOSE, Turkey, Sabre, Retired
Patrick Jørgensen, Denmark, Épée, Current
Philipp Stein, Germany, Épée, Retired
Igor Pilutkiewicz, Poland, Épée, Retired
Mariusz Wingrowicz, Poland, Sabre, Current
Julia Cieslar, Poland, Sabre, Current
Joshua Boles, Ireland, Sabre, Current
Beni Steffen, Switzerland, Épée, Retired
William Silvain Michael Mac Donald Hughes, Ireland, Foil, Current
Outi Jaakkola, Finland, Épée, Current
Ivan Blagoev, Finland, Épée, Current
Darya Varfolomeyeva, Ukraine, Épée, Current
Gontsova Daria, Ukraine, Sabre, Current
Trofymenko Pavlo, Ukraine, Épée, Current
Tsap Yuriy, Ukraine, Sabre, Current
Makiienko Ievgen, Ukraine, Épée, Current
Yagodka Andriy, Ukraine, Sabre, Current
Polina Kuleshova, Ukraine, Épée, Current
Brovko Inna, Ukraine, Épée, Current
Стрельцов Олексій, Ukraine, Foil, Current
Andrew Fischl, USA, Sabre, Retired
Janko Leskovac, Croatia, Foil, Current
Walter Steegmueller, Germany, Épée, Retired
De Greef Stef, Belgium, Foil, Current
Aube Vandingenen, Belgium, Épée, Current
Emily Conrad, Ukraine, Épée, Current
Björn Hübner-Fehrer, Germany, Sabre, Retired
Sophia Talandzevicius, USA, Épée, Current
Zeb Visser, Netherlands, Épée, Current
Samuel Allen, UK, Sabre, Current
Jakob Stange, Germany, Épée, Current
Ivan Borodin Nesteruk, Spain, Épée, Current
Emma Garnier, France, Épée, Retired
Cengizhan Oner, Turkey, Épée, Current
Stefani Deschner, USA, Foil, Retired
Katharine Holmes, USA, Épée, Retired
Teodora Kakhiani‑Meckling, Georgia/USA, Sabre, Retired
Kateryna Chorniy, Ukraine, Épée, Current
Przemysław Korona, Poland, Épée, Current
Daryna Zabolotna, Ukraine, Épée, Current
Matyhin Oleksandr, Ukraine, Épée, Current
Topias Tauriainen, Finland, Épée, Current
Jan Socha, Poland, Épée, Current
Cecylia Cieślik, Poland, Épée, Current
Yeva Ahamian, Georgia/Ukraine, Sabre, Current
Matyáš Pavlík, Czechia, Épée, Current
Jiri Beran, Czechia, Épée, Retired
Stella Scalambrin, Switzerland, Épée, Retired
Emma Fransson, Sweden, Épée, Current
Moa Maaninka, Sweden, Épée, Current
Jaakko Paavolainen, Finland, Épée, Current
Adam Osička, Czech Republic, Épée, Retired
Jade Sersot, France, Épée, Current
Henrik Lundegard, Sweden, Foil, Retired
Robert Zwinger, Czechia, Foil, Current
Giulia Dalto, Italy, Foil, Current
Volodymyr Lukashenko, Ukraine, Sabre, Retired
Veronika Bieleszová, Czechia, Épée, Current
Elvira Mårtensson Ekholm, Sweden, Épée, Current
Ernest Yatsyk, Ukraine, Épée, Retired
Rok Sobočan, Slovenia, Épée, Current
Sheryl Chiu‑Sosnov, UK, Foil, Retired
Anna Mroszczak, Poland, Épée, Current
Anna Limbach, Germany, Sabre, Retired
Geoffroy Husson, Belgium, Épée, Current
Deniz Selin Ünlüdağ, Turkey, Sabre, Current
Matěj Salzer, Czechia, Épée, Current
Iryna Shchukla, Turkey, Sabre, Retired
Valeriy Zharskyy, Ukraine, Épée, Retired
Anni Vornanen, Finland, Épée, Current
Mykhailo Hurin, Ukraine, Foil, Current
Samko Anastasiia, Ukraine, Épée, Current
Dobrinescu Alexia Iulia, Romania, Épée, Retired
Hasanov Ruslan, Azerbaijan, Épée, Current
Tymoshenko Ruslan, Ukraine, Épée, Retired
Shevchenko Sofiia, Ukraine, Épée, Current
Serhiienko Olena, Ukraine, Épée, Current
Natia Chachkhiani, Georgia, Épée, Retired
Kotala Jan, Czech Republic, Épée, Current
Roman Samoilov, Ukraine, Épée, Current
Luke Haynes, UK, Sabre, Current
Adrian Wojtkowiak, Poland, Foil, Current
Emily Kurth, Germany, Sabre, Retired
ARCHAMBEAUD Bastien, France, Épée, Current
Anne Bultynck, Belgium, Épée, Current
Inka Mikkilä, Finland, Épée, Current
Andrej Králik, Slovakia, Foil, Retired
Anastasia Conrad, Switzerland, Épée, Current
Colm Flynn, Ireland, Épée, Retired
Nikoletta Chatzisarantou, Greece, Épée, Current
Shalom Dubinsky, Israel, Épée, Current
Juha Vuorinen, Finland, Épée, Current
Hoida Danyil, Ukraine, Foil, Current
The Fencing Coach LLC, USA, Épée, Retired
Klára Remešová, Czechia, Foil, Retired
Max Hartung, Germany, Sabre, Retired
Paal Frisvold, Norway, Épée, Retired
Andrzej Rządkowski, Poland, Foil, Current
Magdalena Pawłowska, Poland, Épée, Current
Adam Klsák, Czech Republic, Épée, Retired
Reumüller Martina, Austria, Épée, Retired
Frederik von der Osten, Denmark, Épée, Retired
Karolina Zurawska, Poland, Foil, Current
Piotr Szczepanik, Poland, Sabre, Current
Morten Isaksen Westgaard, Norway, Épée, Current
Kate Daykin, UK, Sabre, Current
Oleksandr Dymar, Ukraine, Épée, Retired
Alice Recher, France, Foil, Current
LUMÍR KRÁL, Czech Republic, Sabre, Current
Anaëlle Doquet, France, Épée, Current
Ville Onni Kalevi Sani, Finland, Épée, Retired
Oleksandr Volkov, Ukraine, Foil, Retired
Michael Jacob, Ireland, Sabre, Retired
Gorbachuk Yevgeniy, Ukraine, Épée, Current
Nikitkin Nikita, Ukraine, Sabre, Retired
Erika Kotlanová, Czechia, Sabre, Current
Yuliia Fatula, Ukraine, Épée, Current
Vitalii Marochkin, Estonia, Sabre, Current
František Hoblík, Czech Republic, Foil, Current
Kharkova Vlada, Ukraine, Épée, Current
Dumchikov Maksym, Ukraine, Épée, Retired
Andriy Derkach, Ukraine, Épée, Current
Eoghan Ó hAnluain Fay, Ireland, Foil, Current
Ivo Borna, Czechia, Foil, Retired
Niko Vuorinen, Finland, Épée, Retired
Tesla Wells, USA, Épée, Current
Mika Ehringhaus, Germany, Épée, Current
Nicholas LoCasale, USA, Épée, Current
Julian Kulozik, Germany, Épée, Current
Stanislav (last name missing), Ukraine, Épée, Retired
May Tyagunov Kagan, Israel, Foil, Current
Ivan–Sergio Horetskiy, Ukraine, Épée, Retired
Nazar Kozhin, Ukraine, Épée, Retired
Julius Dehn, Germany, Épée, Current
Jolien Corteyn, Belgium, Sabre, Current
Karím Choun, Czechia, Épée, Current
Maria Chart, UK, Sabre, Current
Jonah Shainberg, USA, Sabre, Retired
Daniel Carlstedt Ringius, Sweden, Sabre, Current
Joachim Wargalla, Austria, Sabre, Retired
Kate Smith, UK, Épée, Retired
Paulina Bajorūnaitė‑Stauskė, Lithuania, Épée, Current
Etienne Van Cann, Netherlands, Sabre, Retired
Anna Salminen, Finland, Épée, Current
Charlotte Kappus, Ireland, Foil, Current
Ondřej Procházka, Czech Republic, Épée, Current
Mathieu Nijs, Belgium, Foil, Current
Yana Shemyakina, Ukraine, Épée, Current
Christian Jelders, Netherlands, Épée, Retired
Cyrille De Bock, Belgium, Épée, Current
Sil Audenaert, Belgium, Sabre, Current
Alina Poloziuk, Ukraine, Foil, Current
Kateryna Budenko, Ukraine, Foil, Current
Michal Škerle, Czechia, Sabre, Retired
Ecaterina Medvedi (Rina Ursu), Ukraine/Moldova, Foil, Retired
Sophie Engdahl, Sweden, Épée, Current
Katrina Deordieva, Ukraine, Foil, Retired
Alla Medvedi, Ukraine/Moldova, Épée, Retired
Oleksandra Bondar, Ukraine, Sabre, Current
Matthias Möseler, Germany, Sabre, Retired
Brynmor Saunders, UK, Sabre, Retired
James Honeybone, UK, Sabre, Retired
Beatrice Abram‑Moore, UK, Sabre, Current
Nelli Differt, Estonia, Épée, Current
Samuel Gibbs, UK, Sabre, Current
Jörn Koch, Switzerland, Sabre, Retired
Sven Uentzelmann, Germany, Sabre, Retired
Daniel Lang, Switzerland, Épée, Retired
Ian Bäckström, Sweden, Épée, Current
Gala Marius, Romania, Sabre, Retired
Kasper Tafenau, Estonia, Épée, Current
Markus Salm, Estonia, Épée, Current
Dmytro Pundyk, Ukraine, Sabre, Retired
Zuzanna Lenkiewicz, Poland, Sabre, Current
Olena Prylypko, Ukraine, Épée, Retired
Satya Gunput, Mauritius, Épée, Current
Bradley Johnston Leyer, Costa Rica, Épée, Current
Tobias Christian Leitner, Austria, Foil, Retired
Wallerand Roger, France, Foil, Current
David van Nunen, Netherlands, Épée, Current
Viacheslav Dziuba, Ukraine, Sabre, Current
Yurii Dzhus, Ukraine, Foil, Current
Tomáš Potůček, Czechia, Sabre, Current