Kazan & Moscow Awarded 2014 & 2015 Fencing World Championships

The International Fencing Federation (FIE) has announced Kazan, Russia, will host the 2014 Fencing World Championships. In 2015, the World Championships will take place in Moscow, Russia. 

Kazan and Moscow were the only two cities submitting their candidature to the FIE Congress for the 2014 and 2015 World Championships. Kazan stepped in for Sofia, Bulgaria, that had to withdraw for financial reasons. 

The cities of Leipzig, Germany, and Doha, Qatar, presented their candidatures for hosting the World Championships in 2017. 

The 130 national federations represented voted also on subjects related to the Olympic Games 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 

The two team disciplines being rotated out of the Olympic Programme of Rio 2016 are men’s sabre and women’s foil. Since Beijing 2008, the FIE is rotating out two team disciplines as there are only 10 medal events for fencing at the Olympic Games.

FIE President Alisher Usmanov commented on today’s Congress meeting: “We would like to thank Kazan for their readiness to host the next year’s world championships. The Russian Federation and Kazan responded to our request as no other cities expressed their interest. In my capacity of FIE President I extend my sincere gratitude to Rustam Minnikhanov, president of Tatarstan, for his support.

“We are confident that Kazan can provide excellent facilities and infrastructure. Even with the little time left, the organising committee will be prepared to host a top level event. With regard to the team events in Rio 2016, the FIE has followed the logical order of rotation. I promise that we will not give up our hopes to obtain the two additional medals and will continue our efforts. In the meantime, we will work on developing fencing further.”