Portland Lands 2026 USA Fencing National Championships

Portland, Oregon, will host the 2026 USA Fencing National Championships and July Challenge, better known as Summer Nationals.

The city’s Oregon Convention Center will host the event June 27–July 6 for 10 straight days of national-title bouts in every weapon, age and division of the sport.

“Portland’s fencing heritage, paired with its vibrant, outdoors-loving culture, makes it the ideal home for the 2026 Summer Nationals,” says Phil Andrews, chief executive officer of USA Fencing. “We can’t wait for athletes and fans to experience world-class competition amid Portland’s unique Pacific Northwest charm.”

Portland has a long fencing pedigree, with two-time Olympic gold medalist Mariel Zagunis and 2024 Olympian Magda Skarbonkiewicz both starting their careers with the Oregon Fencing Alliance, one of several local programs — including Northwest Fencing Center — that have produced national champions.

The city last hosted one of the national governing body’s national tournaments in March 2024, when nearly 2,300 youth competitors fenced in a North American Cup. But this will be the first time Portland has hosted USA Fencing’s signature summer event since 1977 —when USA Fencing was known as the Amateur Fencers League of America, or AFLA.

“Portland and Oregon are thrilled to be hosting USA Fencing’s signature event in 2026 and our hospitality partners are eager to showcase our city and state to the fencing community,” says Sport Oregon Chief Executive Officer Jim Etzel. “While Portland will serve as ground-zero for the competition, we encourage all participants to experience their own unique Oregon adventure before and after the event.”

Other upcoming USA Fencing tournaments that have already been announced include:

• October 2025 North American Cup: Oct. 3–6, 2025, in Salt Lake City
• November 2025 North American Cup: Nov. 14–17, 2025, in Fort Worth
• 2026 Junior Olympics: Jan. 9–12, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri
• March 2026 North American Cup: March 6–9, 2026 in Cleveland
• April 2026 North American Cup: April 24–27, 2026 in Richmond, Virginia