Chen Chih-chieh becomes 1st Taiwan fencer to reach world cup quarterfinals

Taipei, Nov. 9 (CNA) Taiwanese fencer Chen Chih-chieh (陳致傑) on Sunday finished fifth at a men's individual foil World Cup event in Spain, becoming the first Taiwanese to advance to the quarterfinals of an International Fencing Federation (FIE) World Cup competition.

At the Coupe du Monde Ciutat de Palma (City of Palma World Cup), the 24-year-old reached the quarterfinals before losing to Hungary's Gergo Szemes, who went on to finish second behind the Czech Republic's Alexander Choupenitch.

Despite the loss, Chen earned enough points to place fifth overall -- the best result ever achieved by a Taiwanese fencer at an FIE World Cup event.

During the Nov. 6-9 tournament in Palma, Chen defeated China's Lyu Weiqiao (呂惟喬), South Korea's Choi Min Seo and Japan's Kyota Kawamura.

Before the Spanish World Cup event, Chen won the men's individual title at the Singapore Foil Satellite tournament on Oct. 11. He also helped Taiwan's men's foil team win bronze at the 2025 Asian Fencing Championships in Bali, Indonesia, on June 11, where he placed fifth individually.

Speaking to CNA, Chen's coach Chen Po-huai (陳柏槐) praised Chen's performance and expressed confidence that the result would motivate him and his teammates.

Chen is also set to compete in the men's foil team event later Sunday, before turning his focus to the FIE Senior World Cup in Fukuoka, Japan, from Dec. 5 to 7.

The fencer has previously said he aims to qualify for the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya and win Taiwan's first-ever fencing medal at the event.