The World Fencing Championship in Hong Kong gave spectators one of the most dramatic days in the history of Ukrainian sports. The Ukrainian women's sabre team demonstrated incredible character, navigating through a series of principled duels with top-tier opponents. The blue-and-yellow flag at the tournament was defended by Olympic champion Alina Komashchuk, Oleksandra Bondar, Daria Gonchova, and 18-year-old World Championship debutant Viktoriia Korotchenko.
The tournament began with a confident victory over Kazakhstan with a score of 45:33, however, the true test awaited the Ukrainians in the round of 16. The opponent was the team of Russia, ranked third in the world. The match turned into a real battle for survival, where the outcome was decided in the final seconds.
Alina Komashchuk's Miracle
Alina Komashchuk played a key role in the duel against the Russian team. Entering the final bout with a critical deficit of 33:40, she achieved the impossible. The Olympic champion routed her opponent with a score of 12:4. With the last precise hit, the Ukrainian snatched a sensational victory — 45:44. This result became a true triumph of will and skill.
Dramatic Quarterfinal and Tournament Outcome
The quarterfinal against the USA team was no less tense. Trailing 13:25 during the match, the Ukrainian sabre fencers managed to narrow the gap. Komashchuk again entered the final battle with a score of 33:40 and again managed to equalize the forces, however, the decisive touch this time went to the Americans — 44:45.
In the bracket for 5th-8th places, the team coached by Yevhen Statsenko defeated the 2025 World Vice-Champions from South Korea (45:39), but lost to the 2024 Olympic bronze medalists from Japan (39:45). By the end of the tournament, the Ukrainian team took 6th place overall.
The winner of the World Championship in team sabre was the Hungarian team, China won the "silver", and France took the "bronze". Earlier, the Ukrainian men's team won the "silver" at the 2026 World Championship in team foil.
