Potomac and Eastern Shore Fencers Win Gold and Bronze at Vet Worlds
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: DC Fencers Club,
(Silver Spring, Md., Oct. 15, 2026) – Two fencers from Potomac, and Eastern Shore, Md. earned team gold and individual bronze for Team USA at the 25th Veteran Fencing World Championships, held Oct. 9-17, 2026 in Tbilisi, Georgia. “Vet Worlds” brings together more than 1200 of world’s best veteran fencers – age 40 and above – from 65 countries to compete in epee, sabre, and foil in both individual and team events. DC Fencers Club in Silver Spring, Md. sent three fencers to Vet Worlds: Kristin Foellmer, Lotte Bowie, and Kerry Swick. All three train with Head Coach Janusz Smolenski at DC Fencers Club.
Kristin Foellmer, 50 of Potomac, Md., was a key Team USA player in the Oct. 14 gold medal bout against France. Foellmer joined teammates Cassandra Bates (Marx Fencing Academy), Lacey Biniak (Northwest Fencing Center, Orion Fencing), Leslie Marx OLY (Marx Fencing Academy), and Monica Exum (Salle Auriol Seattle) to beat France for the first U.S. women’s epee team world championship title since 2022 and the first in the Veteran format. Foellmer adds a team title to last year’s individual gold. Before her Vet career, she represented the United States at World Championships and on the World Cup circuit.
“The team event is a really different mental game than the individual competition,” said Foellmer. “You’re no longer fencing just for yourself—you don’t want to let your teammates down. Our toughest challenge was staying mentally strong throughout the day and staying present. I’m incredibly proud of being part of this team. We supported each other and standing on top of the podium together is a moment I’ll never forget. Representing Team USA is an honor, and sharing that experience with teammates makes the experience unforgettable.”
DCFC Head Coach Smolenski served as lead coach for the gold medal bout. “They are an extraordinary group of women. A dream team for the coach,” he noted.
Charlotta Bowie of Still Pond, Md. took bronze in the Vet 70 Women’s Epee earlier this week — her second individual Vet Worlds medal, extending Team USA’s medal streak in this event to six straight championships. Bowie is the 2026 Vet 70 Women’s Epee U.S. National Champion and a four-time member of the Vet World Team
Kerry Swick of Columbia, Md. advanced to the top 64 (59) in the Vet 70 Men’s Epee event on Saturday in his first trip to Vet Worlds.
With only a few days of competition remaining, Team USA is at the top of the Vet Worlds leaderboard with 19 medals, including six gold, five silver, and eight bronze medals.
Over a 28-year period, DC Fencers Club has sent fencers to each and every Vet Worlds since they were first competed in 1998. DCFC’s own Kaz Campe took the World Champion title in Vet 60 Men’s Epee that year.
Veteran fencing (for ages 40+ to 70+) is a growing category that offers mature athletes an opportunity for serious competition in a sport that rewards mental acuity as much as physical agility. Since 2017, the US Fencing Association has also hosted Vet 80 exhibition events.
Modern sport fencing offers individual and team competition in three weapons: foil, epee, and sabre. In epee, the entire body is the target. In the team event, squads of three fencers compete in a relay match where every fencer competes against every other fencer in a series of nine bouts. The first team to score 45 points (or the team leading when time expires) is the winner.
About DC Fencers Club
For more than 30 years, DC Fencers Club (DCFC) in Silver Spring, Md. has consistently produced national and international champions. We polish the skills of fencers who strive to compete at the highest level, and we encourage fencers of all ages and ability levels. For more information on classes, camps, and lessons, visit us at www.dcfencing.com or follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
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