Samuel Imrek, 19 years old of Missouri City, TX, is ranked the World #1 Junior Epée fencer. He is also the youngest US epée fencer in history to reach the Top 10 in the Senior World rankings. Imrek will receive an award from the FIE, the world governing body of fencing, in November as the #1 Junior Fencer in the World based on his performance in the 2023-2024 fencing season. This culminates a series of firsts for Imrek:
Imrek is the first US Men’s Epée Fencer in history to:
- Win the overall FIE World Cup
- Medal in three Junior World Championships in a row
- Win 8 gold medals in a row at major national and international championships
- Win both the Junior and Senior PanAm Championships in the same fencing season
Imrek earned the #1 ranking competing with fencers from 163 countries across the globe.
Imrek graduated from Fort Bend Christian Academy in Sugar Land, TX in May 2023 and took a gap year before going to college. He started at St. John’s University in New York City this fall to pursue a degree in Mathematics.
Imrek almost gave up on fencing five years ago but decided to double down and try once more. His hard work paid off. Imrek trains 5-6 times a week at Alliance Fencing Academy in Houston, one of the largest and most successful epée fencing clubs in the US. He takes private lessons and fences with other club members there. Alliance’s Head Coach and two-time Olympic Coach Andrey Geva says, “For Sam, losing is not an option.” Says Imrek: “When I’m on the strip and in full focus my mind is nowhere else. Nothing else is relevant in that moment.”
His favorite bout was against the 2012 Olympic Champion, Venezuelan Ruben Limardo-Gascon. They faced each other in the quarterfinals at the 2024 Senior PanAm Championship in Lima this past June. With only a minute and half left of regulation time, Imrek was down 9-12. (15 points wins the bout.) By the time the clock ran out, Imrek had tied the score 14-14. The bout went into priority for an additional minute. With half that time gone, Limardo-Gascon pushed Imrek to the end of the strip. Limardo-Gascon made a long attack as Imrek clung the end of the strip. A moment before Limardo-Gascon’s tip landed, Imrek counter-attacked to win the bout. Thirty-one seconds remained.
What advice does Imrek have for beginning fencers? “Take small steps and find a training method that works for you. Never let one bad bout ruin your tournament, one bad tournament ruin your season, and most importantly, never let one bad season ruin your career.”
Additional photos available on request.
About Alliance Fencing Academy
Alliance Fencing Academy was founded in 2004 by United States Olympic Coach, Andrey Geva. Geva led TeamUSA’s Women’s Epée Team in the 2016 Olympics in Rio and 2021 Olympics in Tokyo. Coach Geva is also a USA Fencing Hall of Fame inductee. Alliance Fencing Academy is one of the largest and most successful epée fencing clubs in the United States with over 350 students at its two locations in Houston and The Woodlands. It is also a top producer of collegiate fencers, with nearly 50 students receiving athletic and academic scholarships.
About Fencing
Fencing has been an Olympic sport since 1896.
Epée is one of the three fencing weapons, along with foil and saber.
In Epée fencing, a point can be scored on any part of the opponent’s body.
In International competitions, a bout lasts for 15 points or 15 minutes of fencing. If the score is tied after 15 minutes, the bout goes to priority. One fencer is randomly awarded priority before the additional minute of fencing starts. If the score remains tied after the minute, the fencer awarded priority wins.
The FIE (International Fencing Federation) is the world governing body of fencing as recognized by the International Olympic Committee. The FIE has 156 affiliated member federations across the world representing fencers in 163 countries.
