Fencing has been a staple at the Olympics since 1896, yet the sport has been plagued by issues of refereeing, preferential treatment, and match-fixing. USA Fencing recently suspended two international referees for communicating during an Olympic qualifying tournament. Several elite fencers have voiced concerns about the unfair refereeing and match-fixing that they believe is happening within the sport. Despite its reputation for honor and integrity, some athletes, like American fencer Andrew Mackiewicz, have been disillusioned by the reality of the sport.
The subjective nature of refereeing in fencing, especially in saber fencing, has created room for corruption. Referees determine the validity of touches in each match, and accusations like those against Jacobo Morales and Brandon Romo highlight the challenges of maintaining integrity in the sport. USA Fencing raised concerns about referees showing favoritism towards American fencers, like Tatiana Nazlymov and Mitchell Saron, during Olympic qualifying matches. However, after conducting investigations, no credible evidence of collusion or manipulation was found, leading to lesser punishments and reassurance for the respective fencers.
The involvement of experienced referees like Vasil Milenchev and Yevgeniy Dyaokokin in matches with potential favoritism towards American fencers further raised concerns about the sport’s integrity. USA Fencing requested that these referees be excluded from matches involving American fencers, but the International Fencing Federation has yet to respond to these requests. Independent investigations have so far found no direct evidence of U.S. fencers actively manipulating their bouts, providing some relief to the athletes like Nazlymov and Saron who have qualified for the Paris Olympics.
Tatiana Nazlymov, a member of a prominent fencing family, was involved in a disputed match in California where communication between referees during the bout raised suspicions of impropriety. Her coach, Fikrat Valiyev, a two-time Olympic fencer from Azerbaijan, also serves as an international referee and faces scrutiny for possible conflicts of interest. While accusations of match-fixing have been denied by Valiyev and Nazlymov’s family, the sport’s interconnected relationships have further complicated the situation.
Despite the allegations and scandals surrounding international saber fencing, athletes like Eli Dershwitz remain steadfast in their belief in the sport’s integrity and their teammates’ fair play. The fencing community continues to grapple with issues of unfair refereeing and match-fixing, prompting calls for stricter punishments and greater protections to preserve the sport’s honor and integrity. As the Paris Olympics approach, the fencing world will be closely watching to see how these issues are addressed and what measures are taken to safeguard the future of fencing as an Olympic discipline.
