July 30, 2026 · 12:43 p.m.
Ukrainian women’s sabre fencers had a tense and dramatic day at the World Championships in Hong Kong. Our athletes excelled in a series of crucial matches against top rivals, demonstrating incredible fortitude in the team competition.
Komashchuk’s Incredible Comeback Against Russia
Representing the blue-and-yellow flag in the team competition were Olympic champion Alina Komashchuk, Oleksandra Bondar, Daria Gontsova, and 18-year-old World Championship debutant Viktoria Korotchenko. After a confident victory over Kazakhstan (45–33), the Ukrainian women faced the Russian Federation, ranked third in the world, in the round of 16.
Alina Komashchuk pulled off a true miracle in this bout. Entering the final bout with the team trailing 33–40, she routed her opponent 12–4. With her final accurate strike, the Ukrainian secured a sensational 45–44 victory.
Drama in the Quarterfinals
The quarterfinal against the U.S. team was no less dramatic. Trailing 13–25 during the match, the Ukrainian sabre fencers managed to close the gap. In the final bout, Komashchuk once again entered the piste with the familiar score of 33:40 and once again evened the score, but this time the decisive thrust went to the Americans—44:45.
In the battle for 5th–8th place, Yevhen Statsenko’s team defeated the 2025 World Championship silver medalists from South Korea (45–39), but lost to the 2024 Olympic bronze medalists, the Japanese team (39–45).
