Guernsey fencer Reeve Finch is set for the challenge as he competes at the 2026 Commonwealth Fencing Championships in Lagos, Nigeria, www.aclsports.com reports.
The championships will take place from 9–14 August 2026, bringing together fencers from at least 25 nations across individual and team events in épée, sabre and foil.
Finch will be Guernsey’s only representative at the tournament, which continues to be staged during Commonwealth Games years since fencing was removed from the main programme in 1974.
The fencer, based in the United Kingdom, competes for the University of Salford Fencing Club and trained at the Guernsey Fencing Academy. He has gained experience in competitions such as the British Fencing Elite Épée Series and the Mercia Novice Open, and previously won silver at the Guernsey Junior Championships U14 Épée.
Finch was also part of Guernsey’s squad at the 2022 senior edition in London, but the Lagos event will be his first appearance at senior Commonwealth Championships level.
Speaking to the Guernsey Press ahead of the competition, Finch said: “I’m really looking forward to it – I think it’s going to be a good time.”
The Guernsey fencer is targeting experience on the international stage as he prepares for a highly competitive field in Lagos.
“I would love to get a medal,” he admitted. “Do I think it’s going to happen? Probably not. That’s the unrealistic goal. The realistic goal would be to have fun, have some fights, and learn what I need to work on.”
Reeve Finch expects a difficult competition due to the wide range of participating nations and differing levels of fencing development.
“As it’s such a wide range of countries, it’s difficult to know how good each fencer is from each country. They may not have the infrastructure for fencing as much, so you never know what to expect.”
He has also expressed gratitude to his family and Michael Van Den Bossche of the Medical Specialist Group for supporting his trip to the championships.
