Britannica Sources used in this answer

Which countries became leading fencing nations after World War II?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

1992 Olympics women's foil event — fencing Giovanna Trillini (rear) of Italy successfully defending her world champion foil title against Wang Huifeng of China at the 1992 Olympics.

Following World War II, the landscape of international fencing shifted as the sport gained broader global popularity. While French and Italian fencers had dominated épée and foil competitions from the late 19th century until the war, the Soviet Union and Hungary emerged as the dominant nations thereafter.1

In particular, Hungarian fencers maintained a significant stronghold in sabre competition for much of the 20th century. Notable figures from this era include the Hungarian sabreist Aladár Gerevich, who achieved the remarkable feat of winning gold medals in six consecutive Olympic Games.1