HONG KONG, July 27. /TASS/. Russia’s Pavel Graudyn won the gold at the 2026 World Fencing Championships on Monday after defeating South Korea’s Do Gyeong-dong in the final of the men’s sabre event.

The final of the World Championship ended with a score of 15-7 in favor of the Russian fencer, who is competing under the national flag and to the tune of his country’s anthem at this year’s world championship.

Graudyn, 19, is the bronze medalist of the 2025 European Championship.

Last month the European Fencing Federation (EFC) ruled to reinstate athletes representing the Russian and Belarusian Fencing Federations.

In early June, the International Fencing Union had scrapped all previously imposed restrictions on Russian and Belarusian national fencers, allowing them to compete in international tournaments under the national flag and to the tune of the country’s anthem.

Fencers from Russia and Belarus were previously barred from all FIE competitions due to the developments in Ukraine starting in 2022. In March 2024, the FIE allowed athletes from Russia and Belarus to take part in international competitions under a neutral status and in line with recommendations from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

In December 2025, the FIE allowed Russian youth fencers to compete in international tournaments under the national flag and to the tune of the country’s anthem.

In December 2025, the IOC Executive Board issued recommendations that allowed athletes in international federations from Russia and Belarus to participate in youth disciplines under the national flags and anthems.

This recommendation applied to both individual and team sports. Numerous international sports federations followed the proposal.