For the first time in nearly 50 years, Portland is hosting the USA Fencing National Championships.

The ten-day tournament kicks off this Sunday, with thousands of fencing athletes from around the world competing for national titles.

Michael McTigue served as the executive director of the non-profit Northwest Fencing for 5 years and now volunteers as a coach. He’s been fencing, competing and coaching for the last 48 years.

Sandra Marchant is a national fencing champion who’s coming to town to compete. She frequently travels to Portland to host a women-only fencing summer camp called The Athena Project. We’ll hear from McTigue and Marchant ahead of the tournament.

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News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/06/26/think-out-loud-fencing-championships-portland-oregon/