American-Chinese teen fencer Liu ready to overcome tough start in ‘year of growth’
A year ago Jaelyn Liu left Hong Kong as the youngest winner ever of a foil World Cup event. The past 12 months have been full of highs and lows
After a tough start to her 2026 season, American-Chinese teenager Jaelyn Liu believes this is the year to learn what it takes to become a force in the fencing world.
The 16-year-old burst onto the stage in Hong Kong a year ago, becoming the youngest winner of an individual foil World Cup event in the sport’s history.
Defending her title last weekend, the best the United States team member could manage was 20th, to go along with her 35th-place finishes in previous legs in Mallorca and Busan.
It represents something of a come-down for the Texas teen, whose father is from Fujian and mother is from Sichuan.
Last year, she jumped from 93rd to 13th in the world, added the Junior and Cadet Fencing World Championship titles to her growing collection, and claimed team gold alongside some of her more decorated teammates, including world No 1 Lee Kiefer and Lauren Scruggs.
“After all that success, I’ve been in the clouds. I am not really solid in my emotions or any way,” she told the Post. “I believe this year is a time to grow.