🇫🇷 PATRICE STRIKES GOLD IN INCHEON WITH BACK-TO-BACK GRAND PRIX TITLES
Updated: Aug 6
INCHEON, SOUTH KOREA — 3 MAY 2026
France’s Sebastien Patrice asserted his status as the most dominant force on the grandest stages, capturing the gold medal at the SK Telecom Incheon Men's Sabre Grand Prix. In the third and final sabre Grand Prix of the 2025–26 season, the World number 5 repeated his title-winning performance from the Tunis Grand Prix to claim back-to-back Grand Prix titles, defeating his compatriot Maxime Pianfetti 15–9 in an all-French final.
The spectacular victory marks a staggering fifth individual podium of the campaign for Patrice, adding two Grand Prix titles to a haul that already features bronze medals from the Algiers World Cup, Orleans Grand Prix and Budapest World Cup.
Pianfetti, the World number 16 and 2022 World Championship silver medallist, secured the silver medal to log his second consecutive podium finish. The bronze medals were awarded to world number 1 Sandro Bazadze and Tunisia's Olympic hero Fares Ferjani.
Path to the Podium
Sebastien Patrice (World number 5) put on a technical and physical masterclass to cruise through a draw stacked with international talent. He opened with a tight 15–13 win over Korea's Park before finding his rhythm to handle Japan's Tsumori Shiido 15–12 in the round of 16. In the quarter-finals, Patrice quietened the home crowd with a brilliant 15–11 victory over Padua bronze medallist Do Gyeongdong, before holding off a physical assault from Ferjani 15–12 in the semi-finals to book his place in the golden final.
Maxime Pianfetti (World number 16) put together a sublime run to lock down his second consecutive podium finish, building on his bronze from the Padua World Cup. The Frenchman looked clinical early on, giving up just ten touches across his first two direct elimination fights. In the quarter-finals, Pianfetti showed supreme composure to edge out a 15–14 absolute cliffhanger against Germany's dangerous Frederic Kindler. He then carried that momentum into the semi-finals, completely out-pointing world number 1 Bazadze 15–9.
Sandro Bazadze (World number 1) returned to the global podium for the first time this season, locking down his ninth career Grand Prix medal. The reigning World Champion and two-time European Champion picked his way through the bracket with ease, conceding no more than nine touches in any of his opening three fights. Bazadze produced his finest tactical display in the quarter-finals, surviving a fierce 15–14 domestic rivalry clash against the reigning European Champion, Rémi Garrigue, before being halted by Pianfetti.
Fares Ferjani (World number 11) logged his second podium appearance of a highly decorated campaign, adding an Incheon bronze to his silver medal from the season-opening Algiers World Cup. The Paris 2024 Olympic silver medallist and three-time African Champion looked exceptionally sharp, dominating the USA's Mitchell Saron 15–6 in the round of 32 before registering an impressive 15–10 quarter-final triumph over Padua silver medallist Pavel Graudyn.
