Kenyan Athlete Loses in the Country’s First Ever Fencing Game in Olympics

German-born Kenyan fencer Alexandra Ndolo has narrowly lost to Ukranian fencer Olena Kryvtska in the ongoing Paris Olympics. She was the first and only fencer to represent the country.

Alexandra was defeated by only one point with her opponent scoring 13 against her score 12 after a draw in regular time.

“For the first time, the Kenyan colors graced an Olympic fencing arena. Alexandra Ndolo shone brilliantly, giving her all in a thrilling match that ended in a narrow last-minute loss. What a match. We fight another day, Alex,” Olympics Kenya posted.

Ndolo sealed her Olympics ticket in March and since then, she had been featuring in a number of tournaments as she prepared for the Games.

Her silver medal at the 2022 World Championships, along with her second and third place finishes at the 2017 and 2019 European Championships, established her as the leading candidate for Paris. She achieved this distinction by being the top-ranked African épée fencer.

The 37-year-old won a silver medal in 2023 at the Africa Fencing Championships in Cairo, Egypt and was seeking to make Kenya proud at the Olympics.

Alexandra Ndolo Fencing Journey

Alexandra, a Kenyan born and bred in Germany, had earlier announced that she would be representing Kenya starting September 2022.

“From this season on, I will be fencing for my late father’s home country Kenya,” she stated.

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She had been representing the German Fencing Federation for over 15 years before she decided to represent team Kenya.

Ndolo expressed her delight stating, “To my new sports family from Team Kenya and the Kenya Fencing Federation – I can’t wait to go on this journey with all of you together!”

The Kenyan Fencing Federation approved her request to change nationality, followed by a waiver from National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Germany.  

Alexandra was born in a small German town Bayreuth, in Northern Bavaria, on 13 August 1986, to a Kenyan father, David Ndolo and a Polish mother, Barbara Sabarth.

At five years old, Ndolo, the ideal competitive and adaptable child, embraced a unique sport: modern pentathlon. This demanding discipline combines five sports—fencing (one-touch épée), freestyle swimming, equestrian show jumping, pistol shooting, and cross-country running.

By the age of 21, Ndolo had achieved multiple victories in the sport. She then chose to concentrate solely on fencing, which has since brought her unprecedented success. 

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In November 2022, Alexandra made history as the first Kenyan woman to ever compete in a major International Fencing Federation (FIE) fencing event, but also ended up 10th out of 271 participants.

What you Need to Know About Fencing

Fencing is a sport derived from dueling, played by two opponents on a strip, or “piste,” measuring 2 meters by 12 meters.

The objective is to score “hits” or “touches” on your opponent. A given number of hits (usually from five to 15) make up a ’bout’, and the first player to score that number wins the bout.

Because fencing is such a fast-moving sport, touches are recorded electronically by the players’ body wires and are announced by a colored light on the side of the fencer who made the touch.

The three weapons used in fencing are the sabre, the épée, and the foil. The foil is generally considered the best weapon to learn with.

Specialist equipment is required for fencing, including the essential mask, glove, and weapon. Additionally, fencers need a lame jacket, body wire, breeches, and a protective “plastron” that covers the torso, fencing shoes and sword arm. Women will also need a chest guard.

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