World's largest fencing tournament, world record in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

September 30, 2025

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States--The 2025 USA Fencing Summer Nationals drew a record 12,410 total event entries, including 295 team entries, and saw an astounding 45,551 individual bouts and 2,655 team bouts contested on the strips, setting the world record for the World's largest fencing tournament, according to the WORLD RECORD ACADEMY.

Photos: Facebook/USA Fencing

"The world's largest fencing tournament is the USA Fencing Summer Nationals & July Challenge. In 2025, this event was held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and hosted thousands of fencers of all ages and abilities, drawing competitors from across the country.

"The tournament features a wide range of events across the three different fencing disciplines—foil, epee, and saber—making it a major event in the global fencing calendar. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel describes the 2025 event as free to attend and a celebration of the sport's accessibility. (AI Overview)

Key Details about the USA Fencing Summer Nationals:

Host: USA Fencing
Scale: It consistently ranks as the largest fencing tournament in the world.

Participants: Fencers of all ages (from 8 to 80+), abilities, and levels of experience.

Event Structure: Includes numerous events covering all three fencing weapons: foil, epee, and saber.

Significance: It's a major national competition and a significant event in the international fencing community

"The 2025 USA Fencing Summer Nationals – officially the USA Fencing National Championships & July Challenge – lived up to its reputation as the world’s largest fencing tournament," the official website says. Over 10 days of competition at downtown Milwaukee’s Baird Center, more than 6,000 fencers from 49 countries crossed blades in 90 events ranging from youth categories to veterans.

"The massive tournament drew a record 12,410 total event entries, including 295 team entries, and saw an astounding 45,551 individual bouts and 2,655 team bouts contested on the strips. It was a true festival of fencing — free for spectators — showcasing the sport’s global reach and electric atmosphere as sabres clanged and supporters cheered.

"This year’s Summer Nationals solidified its status as the largest fencing competition on the planet. The numbers tell the story: 4,372 foil, 4,385 epee, and 3,653 sabre participants — 7,121 male and 5,289 female athletes — all converged to chase national titles and personal bests."

"Beyond the sheer scale, fencers spoke of a unique camaraderie at Summer Nationals. Many athletes, reunifying from clubs coast-to-coast and abroad, described the event as a giant family reunion of the fencing world," the USA Fencing says.

"Among the many inspiring storylines in Milwaukee was a family achievement that delighted the crowd: Mark Nixon earned a silver medal in Veteran-60 Men’s Epee, securing his place on Team USA for the upcoming Veteran Fencing World Championships — less than three months after his daughter, Kasia Nixon, qualified for the Senior World Championships in women’s epee. "

"Finally, while champions stood atop podiums, hundreds of coaches, armourers, referees, officials, and parents worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make an event of this magnitude possible. Their contributions — from training athletes to keeping equipment primed and bouts running smoothly — earned widespread appreciation. They may not earn medals, but their dedication is the backbone of Summer Nationals."

"Passionate screams – some joyful, some stemming from frustration – echo off the walls of Milwaukee’s Baird Center as the largest fencing event in the world runs rampant," the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

"The Summer Nationals tournament features 6,124 fencers participating this year. A recent expansion of the Baird Center to 1.3 million square feet − the fencers are using about 350,000 square feet − made hosting the event in Milwaukee possible for the first time.

"Despite fencing being one of just five sports contested at every Olympics since 1896, most people lack familiarity with the sport. Here are some takeaways from the tournament, which is free to attend and runs through July 7."

"The largest fencing tournament in the world will feature more than 4,500 competitors from nearly all 50 states competing in more than 100 events over 10 days," the Meet Minneapolis says.

"Past Olympians and future Olympic hopefuls will come to Minneapolis this summer as the 2022 USA Fencing National Championships and July Challenge will take place at the Minneapolis Convention Center from July 2-11. The 2022 Championships will include all three fencing disciplines (epee, foil and saber) with categories for athletes ranging in age from eight to 80-plus years old."

"Peggy Williams-Smith, president & CEO of Visit Milwaukee and Sports Milwaukee, opened the program by highlighting that Summer Nationals is the first event inside the Baird Center’s expansion, which brings the center’s total square footage to 1.3 million," the USA Fencing says.

"The venue now accommodates 99 metal strips and 96 fencing medal events, ready for 6,124 fencers and thousands more visiting families, coaches, vendors, officials and fencing fans. In total, more than 11,000 attendees are expected at the tournament — bringing an anticipated economic impact of $10.7 million.

"Phil Andrews, CEO of USA Fencing, invited the region to witness competition that blends athleticism, strategy and pageantry. He emphasized fencing’s unique status as a lifelong, inclusive sport and noted that Milwaukee spectators will see tomorrow’s Olympians before they become household names."

"Sabers clanged, supporters cheered and announcers called out athlete’s names in the convention center’s huge hall Wednesday. More than 6,000 fencers are competing. The tournament consists of team events as well as individual ones. It’s divided into a wide range of age groups," the Wisconsin Public Radio says.

"Other fencers remarked on the sense of community between fencers who cross paths at tournaments throughout the year. The East and West coasts are well-represented among the tournament’s teams, but several Midwestern teams are there, too, as well as fencers from Canada."

"The USACFC College Fencing Club National Championships are the largest collegiate fencing tournament in the world. This event was last held in the Philadelphia area in 2015 at Bensalem High School and was such a success that USACFC decided to return to Bucks County. It was hosted by Liberty Fencing Club, in partnership with Visit Bucks County, the official tourism promotion agency for Bucks County," the Sports Events Magazine says.

"45 colleges and universities from across the country competed, including local colleges such as, Bryn Mawr College, Drexel University, TCNJ and Rutgers University; as well the United States Military Academy, the United States Naval Academy, University of Michigan, Boston University, UC Berkeley, USC, Virginia Tech, University of Florida—just to name a few.

“Bucks County was pleased to host the fencing community for one of the largest collegiate fencing tournaments in the world,” said Jerry Lepping, President/COO of Visit Bucks County. “Competitions like this highlight our County’s capability to host a variety of sporting events. We’ve accommodated everything from curling to fencing and everything in between.”