This article details the qualifying phase for

fencing at the 2020 Summer Olympics The fencing competitions at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo featured 12 events, the first time that both team and individual events have been held in all three weapons for both men and women. Originally scheduled for 25 July to 2 August 202 ...

. Qualification was primarily based on the

Fédération Internationale d'Escrime The ''Fédération Internationale d'Escrime'' ( en, International Fencing Federation), commonly known by the acronym FIE, is the international governing body of Olympic fencing. Today, its head office is at the Maison du Sport International ...

(FIE) Official Ranking, with further individual places available at four zonal qualifying tournaments. For the team events, 8 teams qualified in each event. Each team must be composed of 3 fencers, with a fourth alternate. The top 4 ranked teams qualified. The next-best ranked team from each zone (Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Oceania) also qualified as long as it was ranked in the top 16. If a zone did not have any team ranked between fifth and sixteenth, the best-placed nation not already qualified was selected regardless of zone. For individual events the 3 fencers from the team event qualified for individual competition automatically. 6 more places were awarded based on the rankings (ignoring fencers from countries with team qualifications, and considering only the top fencer from each country): the top 2 fencers from each of Europe and Asia-Oceania, and the top 1 fencer from Africa and the Americas. 4 more places (1 per zone) were awarded through zone qualifying tournaments; only countries without a qualified fencer in an event were eligible to participate in these zone qualifying tournaments. The host country was entitled to 8 quota spots for individual fencers, in addition to those qualified in the above mechanism, respecting the maximum quota of athletes per country (3 per weapon). If enough of these spots will be used to bring to 3 the number of participants in an individual event, the host country will also take part in the corresponding team event, bringing the number of teams to 9. Unused host country spots, should there be any, were to be awarded to other countries through the FIE universality quota and the Tripartite Commission. French fencer

Daniel Jérent Daniel Jérent (born 4 June 1991) is a French Épée fencer, team world champion in 2014. He was banned from the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo due to a positive urine test for a banned product, after he had otherwise qualified to fence in the individua ...

initially qualified to fence in the individual and team

épée The ( or , ), sometimes spelled epee in English, is the largest and heaviest of the three weapons used in the sport of fencing. The modern derives from the 19th-century , a weapon which itself derives from the French small sword. This contains ...

events, but was banned from participating due to a positive

urine test A urine test is any medical test performed on a urine specimen. The analysis of urine is a valuable diagnostic tool because its composition reflects the functioning of many body systems, particularly the kidneys and urinary system, and specimens a ...

for a banned product. Jérent was replaced by

Romain Cannone Romain Cannone (born 12 April 1997) is a French right-handed épée fencer, 2022 team world champion, 2022 individual world champion, and 2021 individual Olympic champion. After winning gold in individual men's épée at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic ...

, who competed in the two events in which Jérent was entered, and

Ronan Gustin Ronan Gustin (born 17 August 1987) is a French épée fencer, team European and World champion in 2011. Career Gustin took up fencing at the early age of three at ASPTT Dijon. His junior results were unremarkable, but his build and motivation ha ...

was recalled as a team replacement. Cannone later went on to win the individual event. American

Alen Hadzic Alen Hadzic (Alen Hadžić; born November 15, 1991) is an American former épée fencer. In 2023, he was ranked 361st in the world in men's epee. He had attended Montclair High School (New Jersey), Montclair High School and Columbia University, co ...

initially qualified to fence in team épée on Team USA as a replacement athlete. But he was suspended due to

sexual misconduct Sexual misconduct is misconduct of a sexual nature which exists on a spectrum that may include a broad range of sexual behaviors considered unwelcome. This includes conduct considered inappropriate on an individual or societal basis of morality, se ...

from competing by the

United States Center for SafeSport The United States Center for SafeSport is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2017 under the auspices of the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017. SafeSport is tasked with ad ...

; he then had his suspension reduced to a lesser sanction by an arbitrator. Ultimately, Hadzic was permanently banned from fencing by SafeSport for his sexual misconduct.

Timeline

Qualification summary

Men's events

Men's Individual épée

Men's Team épée

Men's Individual foil

Men's Team foil

Men's Individual sabre

Men's Team sabre

Women's events

Women's Individual épée

Women's Team épée

Women's Individual foil

Women's Team foil

Women's Individual sabre

Women's Team sabre

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fencing at the 2020 Summer Olympics - Qualification Fencing at the 2020 Summer Olympics Qualification for the 2020 Summer Olympics