At the 2024 Fencing World Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia, the Chinese mainland's 16-year-old Pan Qimiao stunned fans by claiming bronze in the women's sabre individual event. Entering the tournament ranked 51st, she defied the odds to deliver China's first medal of the competition.
Pan's journey began with a modest 3-3 record in the Saturday pool rounds—an opening that belied her potential. She surged through the elimination stage with back-to-back 15-12, 15-13 and 15-10 victories to secure her quarterfinal berth.
In a nail-biter against Bulgaria's Yoana Ilieva, Pan and her opponent traded blows until the score read 14-14. With surgical precision, she landed the decisive touch to advance.
Her run ended in the semifinals against individual neutral athlete Yana Egorian, who prevailed 15-8 on her way to gold. Yet Pan's performance marked a breakthrough: her first senior-level podium and the Chinese mainland's inaugural medal of the tournament.
"The whole competition felt like riding a rollercoaster," Pan reflected. "My pool draw was tough—facing top European fencers—and I wondered if I could stay in it. But I reminded myself, 'I'm here now; I can't let the draw beat me. I'll go all out.'"
Pan's adaptability defined her run. "Each bout started neck-and-neck, but I knew I could win. I adjusted tactics on the fly and seized key points. This tournament was about pure enjoyment—loving fencing and the fight," she added.
A star of the Chinese mainland's domestic fencing circuit, Pan once claimed four golds at a single national A-level event. Recent reforms by the Chinese mainland's Fencing Association, which opened junior squads to non-professionals, have accelerated her ascent.
At 14, she won gold at the World Junior Championships and followed with a Junior World Cup title and the National Junior Championships crown. In 2025, Pan added individual silver and team gold at the Asian Cadet Championships, silver at the Cadet Worlds, and a Junior Worlds bronze before stepping onto her first senior podium in Tbilisi.
Three other fencers from the Chinese mainland also reached the women's sabre elimination rounds. Fu Ying advanced to the round of 32, while Rao Xueyi and Zhang Xinyi bowed out in the first round. In men's epee, Wang Zijie reached the last 16 and Zhang Xinkun exited in round one.
Reference(s):
China's 16-year-old Pan Qimiao earns bronze medal at fencing worlds
cgtn.com
