Nantong athlete wins first gold of this year

Shi Yuexin (second from right) and her teammates pose for a group photo at the 2026 FIE Women's Epee World Cup. [Photo provided to en.nantong.gov.cn]

Nantong athlete Shi Yuexin, along with her three teammates, clinched the team championship at the 2026 FIE Women's Epee World Cup, which concluded on Feb 8 in Wuxi, Jiangsu province.

This marks Shi's second international gold medal, following her victory with her teammates at last year's FIE World Cup in Marrakech, Morocco.

Born in 2001, Shi is the first national team fencer from Nantong fencing team born in the 2000s. Over the past two Olympic cycles, she has been a key member of the Chinese team in international team competitions. 

Women's epee has been a traditional stronghold for the Chinese fencing team, consistently ranking among the world's elite over the past 20 years. In 2025, Shi ascended the podium as the team champion at both the World Cup and the Asian Championships, achieving breakthroughs by winning gold medals in both international and continental competitions.