Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City
\nEditing by Toby Davis<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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Dec 2 (Reuters) – Fencing may be one of the Olympics’ oldest events, but three-time Olympian Miles Chamley-Watson says it urgently needs a reboot, hoping his new World Fencing League (WFL) will drag the sport into the modern entertainment age.<\/p>\n
The British-born American will unveil the league in Los Angeles in April 2026, complete with cinematic broadcasts and cutting-edge blade-tracking technology that turns lightning-fast sword work into real-time visuals.<\/p>\n
Sign up here.<\/a><\/p>\n “Why is fencing not on TV? It’s simple, people do not understand what is going on,” Chamley-Watson told Reuters. “Even my mother doesn’t know what’s going on because it’s just two lights. This tech is going to change the entire sport forever.”<\/p>\n The WFL’s secret weapon is a blade-tracking system, originally built for the 2020 Tokyo Games.<\/p>\n The technology transforms fencing’s ultra-fast actions into real-time visuals that broadcasters can overlay on screen, turning what often looks like frantic sword waving into comprehensible combat.<\/p>\n The league will debut with a one-day showcase featuring 12 elite athletes competing in mixed-gender teams, backed by what Chamley-Watson calls cinematic broadcast production.<\/p>\n “This has to be a mainstream sport,” said the 35-year-old Rio 2016 bronze medallist.<\/p>\n “Fencing is an incredible combat sport, but if people only see it once every four years, they’ll never understand what goes into it.”<\/p>\n Technology is just one piece of what Chamley-Watson describes as a “full ecosystem”. The league plans clearer rules, athlete-driven format adjustments and a developmental pathway for emerging talent.<\/p>\n “You take UFC, you take the WTA, you take Formula One – you put it all into one,” he said. “This is about building a real professional lane where kids can dream of being full-time fencers and actually make a living.”<\/p>\n The WFL, backed by Chiron Sports Group, has been scheduled around gaps in the existing International Fencing Federation calendar to avoid conflicts.<\/p>\n Chamley-Watson said his league would complement the current system, keeping athletes active and visible outside the World Cup circuit while deepening the talent pool for Olympic qualification.<\/p>\n The venture also aims to address global inequality in the sport, planning to support federations and subsidise athletes using sponsorship and broadcast revenue.<\/p>\n “Kids in Africa might not even have the opportunity to fence,” Chamley-Watson said. “People in South America barely get to any competitions. The Pan-Americans can’t even afford to travel. Why should that be an issue in 2025? That’s something we want to fix.”<\/p>\n After its LA debut, the league aims to expand into the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, with a full season planned by the end of 2026.<\/p>\n For Chamley-Watson, the project represents something bigger than his own sporting success.<\/p>\n “Winning medals is amazing,” he said. “But building something that inspires millions of kids? That might be an even better legacy.”<\/p>\n Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.\n
\nEditing by Toby Davis<\/p>\n<\/div>\n