Aron Szilagyi Upset by Fares Arfa at Olympics

Hungarian fencer Aron Szilagyi's pursuit of a historic fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal in men's individual saber ended abruptly with a shocking 15-8 defeat to 27th-seeded Canadian Fares Arfa in the round of 32 at the 2024 Paris Games. Szilagyi, who had previously dominated the event, winning gold in 2012, 2016, and 2021, expressed his disbelief at the loss, stating, "I'm in a bit of shock right now, so I'm not even disappointed or angry at myself yet." Despite narrowing the score to 6-4 during the match, Szilagyi struggled to regain control, attributing his performance to being predictable and outmaneuvered by Arfa. The upset marks Szilagyi's first Olympic defeat since 2008 and adds to a series of unexpected results in fencing, including losses for other top competitors like America's Eli Dershwitz and defending champion Sun Yiwen. Arfa's victory propels him further in the tournament, as he aims for a medal in his Olympic debut.