Chinese fencer Shen displays unmatched sportsmanship at FIE Sabre World Cup

An extraordinary display of fair play unfolded during the quarterfinal match at the 2025 FIE Sabre World Cup in Padua. Italian fencer Michele Gallo, who was trailing 5-6, successfully landed a hit on Chinese fencer Shen Chenpeng, yet the scoring light failed to register the point.

Demonstrating admirable sportsmanship, Shen acknowledged the hit and accepted the oversight gracefully. In a remarkable gesture, he intentionally left himself open, allowing Gallo to score the point he deserved.

Despite eventually losing the match 15-13, Shen's exemplary sportsmanship earned applause from the audience.

"Winning is an athlete's instinct, and one must strive to earn every point, but this should always be rooted in fair competition," Shen said after the match. "I just accepted the issue with the referee's equipment and displayed sportsmanship and, without hesitation, allowed that point to be awarded."

(Video credit to Italian Fencing Federation)■