Student fencer shines at Cape Open

Alexandra Lancaster, a PhD candidate in the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Division of Biomedical Engineering, is ending the year on a high note. This after she bagged a silver medal in the Senior Women’s Épée at the Cape Town National Fencing Open Tournament (Cape Open) earlier this month.

The Cape Open is a national annual ranking fencing tournament – one of three national ranking tournaments held every year. It attracts top fencers for épée, foil and sabre events and serves as a key qualifier for international competitions such as the African & World Championship.

Thanks to her outstanding achievement, Lancaster, a member of UCT’s Fencing Club, is now ranked third in the épée category in South Africa.

“I am very pleased with my second place as it places me in a good position for national team selection in 2026. I fenced as a UCT Fencing Club [member], possibly my last, as I hope to be graduating soon. So, I am very happy to be going out on a high,” Lancaster said.

A ‘great year of fencing’

Lancaster has experienced an extraordinary year of fencing: she was selected to represent South Africa at the Senior African Championships (SAC), as well as the Senior World Championships. During the SAC, she came in in 10th place in the individual event and third in the women’s épée team event. She also participated in the Senior World Championships and progressed out of the pool round of the competition – making her the first South African woman épéeist to make it out of the pool stage in 10 years.

“It was a wonderful opportunity to test my skills against internationally competitive fencers.”

This, she explained, was particularly significant because South African fencers get very little exposure on the international stage.

“It was a wonderful opportunity to test my skills against internationally competitive fencers and bring a lot of that knowledge back home to my clubmates,” she said. “In the coming year, I am hoping to make the national team for the Commonwealth Fencing Championships, the Senior African Championships and the Senior World Championships. I also hope to see some of the fencers I coach climb the national rankings and make the national team themselves in the future,” she said.