At the 2026 World Championships in Hong Kong, Italy secured its first two medals, celebrating silver medals for Filippo Macchi in the men's foil and Giulia Rizzi in the women's épée, both of whom made their first appearances on the world championship podium.
Filippo Macchi's remarkable journey to world silver began with a fiercely contested first-round match, won with a stunning 15-13 victory over South Korea's Kim. The 24-year-old Pisan then defeated Japan's Saito 15-10 to advance to the round of 16, where he prevailed 15-12 against Im, another Korean representative who had eliminated Tommaso Martini. In the match that would have secured a spot on the podium, in a thrilling quarterfinal, the Fiamme Oro foil fencer defeated Russia's Kirill Borodachev with a final thrust, 15-14, thus securing his first world championship medal. In the semifinal, Macchi dominated Japan's Kazuki Iimura, finishing 15-6, thus securing a spot in the final against Czech Alexander Choupenitch, who defeated him 15-2. For Filippo Macchi, after the Olympic medal in Paris 2024, this is his first world silver medal.
Italy also took silver in the women's épée event, with Giulia Rizzi struggling in the first round to defeat India's Lohan 15-14. The Paris 2024 Olympic team champion then dominated her assault against Switzerland's Favre (15-11) and defeated China's Yu in the final, decisive blow, 13-12, to secure a spot in the quarterfinals. The Friulian athlete of the Fiamme Oro team won the Italian derby between Olympic champions against her teammate Alberta Santuccio, 15-7, thus securing her first world championship medal at age 37.
In the semifinals, Giulia Rizzi left no chance against Polish opponent Barbara Brych, storming to the final with a 15-6 victory. In the gold medal match against South Korean Sera Song, the battle continued until the extra minute, when the Asian scored the decisive blow to make it 9-8. Giulia Rizzi thus remained just one blow away from the world title.
