South Africa has named a strong 36-person team for the 2026 Commonwealth Fencing Federation Championships in Lagos, reinforcing its standing as one of Africa’s leading fencing nations.
Squad announcement and key figures
Two veteran épée athletes are at the core of the group: Sergey Losevskiy and Alexandra Lancaster. Both fenced at the African Championships in Lagos last year and have now been selected to spearhead South Africa’s bid at the Commonwealth event.
Losevskiy, a former fencer for Russia who later switched allegiance to South Africa, has established himself as a central figure in the men’s épée squad. He is based at TFS Johannesburg/Blues Fencing Club and has served as captain of the national team through major continental competitions, bringing both experience and leadership to the programme.
In the women’s ranks, Lancaster is the leading name. She is a silver medallist at the African Senior Championships and made history by becoming the first South African woman épéeist to move beyond the pool stage at the Senior World Championships. Her selection is seen as a sign of both ambition and resilience as the team looks to make an impact.
Federation view on the team
Louise Lombard, President of the Fencing Federation of South Africa, described the squad as a combination of emerging talent and seasoned competitors.
“We have a largely young squad, with some athletes making their international debut in Lagos,” Lombard said. “Several development fencers from rural areas will be traveling abroad for the first time, supported by club funding. At the same time, our senior athletes—who have previously been close to medals at Commonwealth competitions—bring valuable experience. This is a team spanning multiple age groups and weapons, with strong potential,” she added, noting that she is also the team manager.
Event-by-event breakdown
The selection reflects that mix across categories and weapons. Six fencers will compete in the veteran épée event, while eleven will take part in the senior épée category, comprising six men and five women. Four athletes have been named for foil action.
In the U-23 division, South Africa will enter eight épéeists, four foilists, and two sabreurs.
Momentum heading to Lagos
South Africa comes into the Lagos championships with added momentum after hosting the most recent Commonwealth Junior Fencing Championships. With junior results helping set the tone, the senior team will now aim to build on that progress through a strong performance at continental level.
