Jump to content

Fares Arfa

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fares Arfa
Personal information
Nationality Canada
Born (1994-10-16) October 16, 1994 (age 30)
Béjaïa, Algeria
Home townLaval, Quebec, Canada
Height188 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Weight90 kg (198 lb)
Sport
SportFencing
College teamOhio State University
Medal record
Men's fencing
Representing  Canada
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 2023 Santiago Team sabre
Silver medal – second place 2019 Lima Team sabre
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Santiago Sabre
Pan American Fencing Championships
Silver medal – second place 2024 Lima Team Sabre
Silver medal – second place 2023 Lima Team sabre
Silver medal – second place 2022 Ascuncion Team sabre
Silver medal – second place 2019 Toronto Team sabre
Silver medal – second place 2018 Havana Team sabre
Silver medal – second place 2017 Montreal Team sabre
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Lima Sabre
Pan American Junior Fencing Championships
Gold medal – first place 2014 Guatemala City Sabre

Fares Arfa (born October 16, 1994) is a Canadian fencer in the sabre discipline.[1] Arfa has won multiple medals at the Pan American level.

Career

[edit]

Arfa's first major international result came in 2014, when he won the gold medal at the Pan American Junior Fencing Championships in Guatemala City.[2] Arfa was part of the last five Pan American Fencing Championships sabre team who won the silver medal, losing to the United States each time.[3] At the 2022 World Fencing Championships in Cairo, Egypt, Arfa finished 16th in the individual event, the highest placing for Arfa at the event.[4]

Pan American Games

[edit]

Arfa has won a medal of each colour at the Pan American Games. Arfa made his Pan American Games debut at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, where he won the silver medal in the team sabre event. Four years later Arfa was named to his second Pan American Games team.[5] At the 2023 Pan American Games, Arfa won the gold medal in the men's team sabre event and the bronze medal in the individual event.[6]

2024 Olympics

[edit]

In 2024, Arfa helped Canada qualify a sabre team for the 2024 Summer Olympics for the first time since 1996.[7][8] Arfa was officially named to Canada's 2024 Olympic team in April 2024.[9][10] In the first round of the men's individual sabre competition, Arfa defeated three-time reigning Olympic champion Áron Szilágyi of Hungary by 15-8, serving Szilágyi his first Olympic defeat since 2008.[11] He then won his second round match against Boladé Apithy of France by 15-8 before falling in the quarterfinal 13-15 to the South Korean former world champion and eventual gold medalist Oh Sang-uk.[12]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Fares Arfa". Canadian Olympic Committee. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  2. ^ "Two Ohio State Fencers Earn Gold at Pan Am Junior Championships – Ohio State Buckeyes". www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/. Ohio State University. February 28, 2014. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  3. ^ "Farès Arfa en constante progression" [Farès Arfa in constant progress]. Laval Courier (in French). Laval, Quebec. May 10, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  4. ^ "Farès Arfa fier de sa 16e place aux Championnats du monde" [Farès Arfa proud of his 16th place at the World Championships]. Radio Canada (in French). Montreal, Quebec, Canada. July 18, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  5. ^ "Canada's Santiago 2023 fencing team announced" (Press release). Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Canadian Olympic Committee. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  6. ^ "Brazil and Canada Claim the Final Gold Medals in Fencing". www.panamsports.org/. Panam Sports. November 4, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  7. ^ "Paris 2024: discover Farès Arfa" [Paris 2024 : découvrez Farès Arfa]. Radio Canada (in French). Montreal, Quebec, Canada. April 2, 2024. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  8. ^ "Farès Arfa et les sabreurs canadiens qualifiés pour les JO" [Farès Arfa and the Canadian sabers qualified for the Olympics]. Laval Courier (in French). Laval, Quebec. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  9. ^ Fenton, Caela (April 25, 2024). "Team Canada announces fencing team for Paris 2024". Canadian Olympic Committee. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  10. ^ Nerestant, Antoni (April 26, 2024). "29 Olympics, no medals? No problem. Quebec-led fencing squad hungry for history". www.cbc.ca/sports/. CBC News. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  11. ^ "Historic Olympic streak ends in a shock upset as Hungarian fencer Aron Szilagyi is finally beaten". kgw.com. July 27, 2024. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  12. ^ "Canadian fencer Arfa stopped in quarterfinal after upset win over defending champ". Toronto Star. The Canadian Press. July 27, 2024. Retrieved July 27, 2024.