An open letter addressed to the President of the International Olympic Committee has brought renewed scrutiny to governance standards in international fencing, while amplifying calls from athletes for transparency, stability and reform.
Dated 5 May and signed by 2,981 athletes and coaches, the letter presents a collective appeal from within the sport. It warns that governance failures and concerns over integrity risk undermining both the credibility and the long-term future of fencing within the Olympic movement.
Addressed to IOC President Kirsty Coventry, the open letter calls for the establishment of an independent third-party investigation into what it describes as credible concerns surrounding governance and internal processes within the FIE. The signatories argue that only a transparent, external review can restore trust and safeguard the integrity of the sport.
The letter places recent developments within a broader governance context. It refers to Emmanuel Katsiadakis, who stepped down after declining to support a separate initiative calling on President Donald Trump to ease sanctions against Alisher Usmanov. According to the letter, Katsiadakis indicated that the episode contributed to his decision to resign. The signatories express support for his position and warn against political involvement in matters affecting the governance of sport.
Alisher Usmanov
At its core, the letter portrays fencing as being at a critical juncture. It states that the Olympic movement is built on principles of independence, integrity and the separation of sport from political influence, cautioning that any erosion of these principles risks damaging trust in both the sport and its governing bodies.
Beyond governance, the signatories outline a series of operational concerns affecting athletes directly. These include the removal of meaningful background checks for competitors participating under Individual Neutral Athlete status, restrictions on the ability of athletes and media to record matches, additional financial burdens placed on armourers, and the short-notice postponement of World Cup events, which they say creates uncertainty for athletes and national federations.
The letter calls for clearer communication and planning around competition schedules, greater transparency in the organisation of international events, and meaningful consultation with athletes before the introduction of new financial measures. More broadly, it stresses that athletes depend on stable and predictable competitive structures, arguing that governance decisions have direct consequences for careers and for the credibility of the sport as a whole.
Emmanuel Katsiadakis
While the letter stops short of making direct accusations against named individuals, it underscores a growing unease within the fencing community over the direction of governance and the role of external influences. It also points to an increasingly organised and collective resolve among athletes to press for structural reform.
Whether the International Olympic Committee will act on the request for an independent investigation remains unclear. However, the scale and tone of the letter suggest that pressure for accountability within the International Fencing Federation is unlikely to diminish in the near future.
Thirteen members of the International Fencing Federation Board of Directors signed a letter addressed to U.S. President Donald Trump calling for the lifting of sanctions imposed on Alisher Usmanov, the former president of the FIE. Usmanov, an Uzbek-born businessman based in Russia, is estimated to have a fortune of around $18 billion. Prior to Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, he held a significant stake in Arsenal F.C.. Authorities in the United States and the United Kingdom have since frozen more than $600 million of his assets within their jurisdictions. Earlier in his life, Usmanov faced embezzlement charges in Uzbekistan in 1980, although these were overturned two years later.
The initiative was led by the President of the Pan-American Fencing Confederation, Vitaly Logvin, an Uzbek-Russian figure who also holds Mexican nationality. The letter secured majority backing within the federation, with 13 of the 21 members of the FIE Board voting in favour.
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