What are the Junior Olympics in Fencing?
The Junior Olympics in fencing has nothing to do with any Olympic games, but they can lead you there. The road to the Olympic Games is long; see here how to become an Olympian!
The Junior Olympics Championship is an event for Cadets and Juniors (over 13 years old) and is held yearly during the month of February, on the President’s Day weekend.
In 2025, the hosting city is Charlotte, NC, and it takes place between February 14-17.
Why is it important?
The Junior Olympics event is the last chance for cadets and juniors to qualify for the Junior and Cadet World Championship, always held in April.
In 2025, this major event will take place in Wuxi, China, from April 1st to the 15th.
Here is how to go to Wuxi!
Even though the qualification changes a bit from year to year, generally there are three ways to qualify:
Qualifications paths are published beforehand on the USA Fencing website
These are the updated qualification requirements for the 2024-25 season:
CADET
- Fencers must meet eligibility AND
- Be on the Cadet National Rolling Point Standings (NRPS) at the regular fee entry deadline OR
- Earn at least 110 regional points on either the Cadet or Junior Regional Point Standings (Total points = an athlete’s top two point results) OR
- Be in the top 25 percent (round up) of their division’s Cadet JO qualifying competition OR
- Be in the top 25 percent (round up) of their division’s Junior JO qualifying competition (Junior event must occur first) OR
- For EPEE ONLY: the top 3 (on Modern Pentathlon Point Standings) USA Fencing Modern Pentathlon fencers will be eligible to compete in the JO epee events without qualifying by any other means. USA Modern Pentathlon fencers MUST be USA Fencing members
JUNIOR
- Fencers must meet age eligibility AND
- Be on the Junior national rolling point standings (NRPS) at the regular fee entry deadline OR
- Earn at least 110 regional points on the Junior Regional Point Standing (Total points = an athlete’s top two point results) OR
- Be in the top 25 percent (round up) of their division’s Junior JO qualifying competition OR
- For EPEE ONLY: the top 3 (on Modern Pentathlon Point Standings) USA Fencing Modern Pentathlon fencers will be eligible to compete in the JOI epee events without qualifying by any other means. USA Modern Pentathlon fencers MUST be USA Fencing members
The reason why the Junior Olympics are held almost half a year ahead of the other major competitions (which happen during the summer) is also because the age cut-off for the Junior Olympics is totally aligned with the international championships and with the world championships.
If this didn’t happen this way, then starting right after the competition the aged-out cadets and juniors would not be able to participate fully in the next year-round to qualify for the World Championships.
See here why your real birthday and your fencing birthday are different.
Did you know?
Olympia Fencing Center students have won three Junior Olympic medals:
2017: Robert Hondor wins the Cadets Men’s Épée
2018: Emily Vermeule wins Cadet’s Women’s Épée and Hunter Candreva, Cadet’s Men’s Épée
Emily Vermeule wins the Silver at the Fencing World Championships in Verona, IT, 2018; she becomes #2 cadet woman épéeist in the world and qualified to the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, Buenos Aires, AG, where she wins the Olympic Bronze with the USA Team and a 5th place individually.
In Fall of 2021, two of our fencers began their college careers: Emily Vermeule fences for Harvard University, and Gabriel Feinberg fences for Ohio State. Both Emily and Gabriel medaled at their very first NCAA Championship, held at Notre Dame University March 24-27, 2022! Gabriel Feinberg takes GOLD in Men’s Épée, and Emily Vermeule takes SILVER in Women’s Épée!
Other important links: