Bulgarian fencer Ralitsa Gadzheva captured a silver medal at the Budapest World Cup 2026 fencing tournament, the women's cadet event held in Hungary between 5 and 8 November. Hosting the competition, the Bulgarian Fencing Federation reported that Gadzheva, 15, progressed through a group stage where she earned four wins and two losses.
In the elimination rounds, Gadzheva defeated Hong Kong’s Yuyan Uu Zou 15‑8 in the second round, then secured 15‑5 victories over fellow Bulgarian Dora Hristova and Hungary’s Boglarka Komjathy 15‑9. In the quarter‑final, the 15‑year‑old bested Germany’s Amilia Mertens with a 15‑3 score, following which she eliminated China’s Yingxiao Zhou 15‑11 in the semi‑final.
The final match saw Germany’s Luisa Rezi overcome Gadzheva 15‑7, earning the gold medal. The tournament fielded 131 fencers representing 22 countries, highlighting the level of competition and Gadzheva’s strong performance as she advanced to the podium.
