🇺🇸 AMERICAN TEEN SENSATION HEATHCOCK CLAIMS MEN'S SABRE TITLE AT ALGIERS WORLD CUP

ALGIERS, ALGERIA - 9 November 2025

American fencing prodigy, 19-year-old Colin Heathcock (USA), started the men’s sabre season in dominant fashion, taking the gold medal at the World Cup in Algiers. The World Number 5, who trains in Orleans, France, secured his second individual World Cup title by defeating Paris 2024 Olympic silver medallist Fares Ferjani of Tunisia, 15-12, in a thrilling final.

Ferjani, a two-time African Champion and World Number 8, claimed the silver medal after a formidable run in the direct elimination rounds.

The bronze medals were secured by two titans of the sport: Oh Sanguk of Korea and Sebastien Patrice of France. Oh Sanguk (KOR), the reigning Paris 2024 Olympic Champion, was defeated by Ferjani in a narrow 15-14 semi-final battle. World Number 3, Sebastien Patrice (FRA), known for his unique style, lost his tight semi-final bout to the eventual winner, Heathcock, 15-14.

Heathcock's path to gold included a series of highly competitive victories, notably edging out World Number 3 Patrice in the semi-final and a challenging 15-13 win over Do Gyeondong (KOR) in the quarter-finals.

The other half of the bracket saw Ferjani, a St. John's University student, showcase his elite form. The Tunisian fencer battled through two major contests, defeating 2024 Olympic Team bronze medallist Maxime Pianfetti (FRA) 15-13, and then overcoming Olympic Champion Oh Sanguk (KOR) 15-14 to set up the gold medal clash against Heathcock.

The final was a captivating showcase of explosive sabre fencing, with the teenage American ultimately overcoming the Olympic silver medallist, 15-12, to capture the first World Cup title of the new season.

Full results from the Algiers World Cup are available here.