--- title: "Historic Bronze: How Alina Polozhuk Became the First Ukrainian Fencer to Win a World Championship Medal" description: "23-year-old Alina Polozhuk became the first Ukrainian fencer in history to win a World Championship medal, taking bronze in Hong Kong after beating Batini and losing to Errigo in the semifinals." date: 2026-08-23T04:02:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/alina-polozhuk-historic-bronze-world-fencing-championship tags: [fencing, world-championship, ukraine, rapier, alina-polozhuk, hong-kong] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Historic Bronze: How Alina Polozhuk Became the First Ukrainian Fencer to Win a World Championship Medal ![Alina Polozhuk in fencing gear holding her mask and rapier after winning historic bronze at the World Fencing Championships](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/23/alina-polozjuk-istoricheskaya-bronza-chempionata-mira-rapir/alina-polozjuk-istoricheskaya-bronza-chempionata-mira-rapir-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Alina Polozhuk became the first Ukrainian fencer in history to win a World Championship medal (bronze, Hong Kong) - On her way to the bronze, the Ukrainian defeated three-time world champion Martina Batini - In the semifinals, Polozhuk lost to the legendary Italian Arianna Errigo - Before the tournament, the athlete's internal goal was to reach the quarterfinals of the individual event - Polozhuk emphasizes that the medal brings additional responsibility and that she does not allow herself to relax 23-year-old Alina Polozhuk has gone down in the history of Ukrainian fencing, becoming the first fencer in the country to win a World Championship medal. At the competition in Hong Kong, the Ukrainian advanced from the individual event all the way to the semifinals, where she lost to one of the most decorated fencers in history — Italy's Arianna Errigo. On her way to the bronze, Polozhuk eliminated three-time world champion Martina Batini, demonstrating cold tactical discipline and psychological resilience. The exclusive interview with Sport RBC.UA was recorded during the ceremony honoring the best athletes of July at the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, where Alina spoke about how she coped with her historic success and why she does not allow herself to relax after the bronze. ### The Road to History: From the Quarterfinals to the Semifinals Before the World Championship began, Polozhuk's internal goal was more modest than what she ultimately achieved. “I wanted to make the quarterfinals. I remember thinking on the way there that that would be a great result, especially in the individual event,” the athlete admitted. The team, she said, had other objectives as well, but the first day was devoted to the individual competition. Polozhuk emphasizes that she approached the tournament step by step: “I always focus only on the first bout I have.” On the second day, she knew her first opponent would be Martina Batini, whom the Ukrainian had lost to convincingly at the European Championship. “After that, I don't even look at who my next opponent might be. The main thing is to win the first bout,” she explained about her strategy of focusing on the current duel. ### The Duel with Batini: Tactics Worked Out with Her Coach The bout against the three-time world champion from Italy became the turning point of the tournament. “It was in this duel that everything had to work properly. We discussed the tactics with my coach from the very beginning and decided how we would act,” Polozhuk recalled. She noted that Italian fencers are traditionally strong in fencing, but she did not allow any fears to creep in: “I just had to physically hold on and understand that if the bout did not go well, she is an experienced athlete and can do anything.” According to the Ukrainian, the key was to be persistent in attack, not give her opponent a chance, and try to turn the duel in her own favor. ### The Semifinal with Errigo: “She Simply Understood That Ukrainians Are Serious” In the semifinals, Polozhuk faced Arianna Errigo — one of the most decorated fencers in history. Asked about the influence of knowing her opponent's path on her own mindset, Alina answered directly: “In my case, the influence is that I want to beat this athlete even more. It's harder when I don't know the athlete and don't understand how to fence against them.” In her observation, there is no fear against an experienced opponent: “She may not know what you are going to do, but after two touches or a minute of time, she will figure out what to do with you.” Polozhuk added that Errigo was “tough” on her, and cited the European Championship, where the Italian lost to Olya Sopit: “About three weeks before this, she had the European Championship, where she lost to Olya Sopit. I later told Olya: she simply understood that Ukrainians are serious and that she needs to be tough from the very first touch against them, so she did not give me a chance to offer anything of my own.” ### Psychology and Calm: “I Have Already Lived Through It” Speaking about how she now assesses what happened, Polozhuk noted that the emotions have settled: “Yes, I guess the emotions have calmed down a bit; I have already lived through it. It is an incredible feeling, and I probably perceive it more calmly now. I am ready to keep working. I have already grasped the historic significance of these competitions.” She emphasized that she does not allow herself to relax after the bronze and that before new starts, conscious work with her coach helps her stay calm: “Sometimes you lose bouts, you get upset, you don't understand what might come next. Then you talk with your coach, realize your mistakes, and keep working.” It is precisely this cycle — analysis, correction, action — that she considers the foundation of her preparation. ### Responsibility After History Wrapping up the conversation, Polozhuk acknowledged that a World Championship medal brings a new level of responsibility. “Now I have even more responsibility,” she stated. At the same time, she maintains a realistic outlook: in the individual event, the athlete invests more of her own effort, whereas in team events there is the support of her partners. “I have girls, I am not alone, and where I support them, they support me,” she said about the team format. For the 23-year-old fencer, who has not yet allowed herself to fully “enjoy” a touch, the historic bronze in Hong Kong became not a finish line but a starting point for further ambitions. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Alina Polozhuk: “Now I have even more responsibility”](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/othersport/alina-polozyuk-teper-mene-shche-bilshe-vidpovidalnosti-1787431069.html) - Первоисточник интервью. Подтверждает факт исторической бронзы, путь через Батини и Эрриго, цитаты спортсменки. - [Fencer Alina Polozhuk on her historic World Championship bronze: I learned to calm my emotions and enjoy the ...](https://kp.ua/sport/a734179-rapiristka-alina-polozjuk-ob-istoricheskoj-bronze-chm-nauchilas-smirjat-emotsii-i-kajfovat-ot-ukolov) - Подтверждает факт завоевания исторической бронзы на ЧМ и цитирует Полозюк о работе с эмоциями. - [Ukrainian wins historic medal at the World Fencing Championship](https://zn.ua/SPORT/ukrainka-zavoevala-istoricheskuju-medal-chempionata-mira-po-fekhtovaniju.html) - Подтверждает исторический характер достижения и место проведения — Гонконг. - [Polozhuk wins historic bronze at the 2026 World Fencing Championship](https://korrespondent.net/sport/other/4897699-polozuik-zavoevala-ystorycheskuui-bronzu-na-chm-2026-po-fekhtovanyui) - Подтверждает год проведения (2026), тип медали (бронза) и исторический статус. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Who is Alina Polozhuk and what did she achieve at the World Championship? **A:** Alina Polozhuk is a 23-year-old Ukrainian fencer who won a bronze medal at the World Championship in Hong Kong, becoming the first woman in Ukrainian history to win a medal at a world championship. ### Q: Who did Polozhuk beat on her way to the bronze? **A:** On her way to the semifinals, Alina Polozhuk defeated three-time world champion, Italy's Martina Batini. In the semifinals, she lost to the legendary Arianna Errigo. ### Q: What was Polozhuk's goal before the World Championship? **A:** In the athlete's own words, her internal goal was to reach the quarterfinals of the individual event. The team also had objectives in the team competition, but the first day was devoted to the individual bouts. ### Q: Where was the interview with Polozhuk recorded? **A:** The exclusive interview with Sport RBC.UA was recorded during the ceremony honoring the best athletes of July at the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine. ### Q: Does Polozhuk plan to stop after her historic bronze? **A:** No. Polozhuk stated that she does not allow herself to relax, that the historic medal brings additional responsibility, and that she is ready to keep working.