LONDON, May 5 (Reuters) - Almost 3,000 athletes and coaches have sent an open letter to IOC President Kirsty Coventry and the International Fencing Federation (FIE) calling for an independent review of what they call "governance failures and corruption" in the world body.
The letter argues that fencing has been destabilised by turmoil at the top of the FIE with disputes over leadership, transparency and decision making, including the fallout from former president Alisher Usmanov's return and complaints about opaque rule changes, event disruptions and weaker safeguards surrounding neutral athletes.
However, the FIE responded by strongly disputing the claims and saying that some of the named signatories have denied being involved.
The letter, which is now public, says: "As athletes, we care deeply about the future of our sport. The governance failures and corruption within the International Fencing Federation are threatening the credibility and stability of the sport and must be formally addressed."
The athletes say former interim FIE president Emmanuel Katsiadakis stepped down after refusing to sign a letter addressed to U.S. President Donald Trump seeking the lifting of sanctions against 72-year-old Usmanov.
In their letter, the athletes say their concerns extend to the removal of meaningful background checks for those competing under Individual Neutral Athlete status, restrictions on athletes, media and federations recording bouts, added financial burdens on armourers and the postponement of World Cup events at short notice.
They call for an independent investigation into governance concerns within the FIE, greater transparency in the organisation of competitions, clearer communication when events are postponed or cancelled, consultation with athletes before new financial measures are introduced and the reinstatement of comprehensive background checks for neutral athletes.
The letter urged the IOC to back an external review to help restore confidence in the FIE.
In response the FIE said the letter was an "unbalanced presentation of numerous facts" and that a number of the signatories have denied any knowledge of it or having seen it.
"Any claim of improper governance fails to reflect reality," the FIE told Reuters. "In addition, allegations of corruption are entirely unsubstantiated, baseless and factually inconsistent with our public records.
"The FIE continues to conduct stringent background checks on all athletes and officials who apply for neutral status. The one-month postponement of three World Cups and one Grand Prix earlier this year was caused by the sudden aggravation of the geopolitical situation and was communicated promptly to all of our member federations.
"Likewise, the process of applying fees to the manufacturing and safety-testing procedures of FIE-approved equipment was done in an open and transparent manner. The move came after an exhaustive study of systems and measures implemented by other International Federations and was taken first and foremost for the safety of our athletes.
"The FIE stands by our integrity and remains open for dialogue with all athletes and coaches, who we have always encouraged to voice their questions or concerns to us directly."
The FIE has faced scrutiny since Russian-Uzbek billionaire Usmanov, who led the federation from 2008 until 2022, was re-elected president in November 2024.
He had already stepped aside in 2022 after being sanctioned by the European Union following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He was later also sanctioned by Britain and the United States.
Usmanov voluntarily suspended his duties as FIE President in December 2024, saying he wanted to avoid the sanctions affecting the federation.
However, his re-election drew criticism from Ukraine and others who said a sanctioned Russian oligarch should not hold a position of influence in international sport.
(Reporting by Iain Axon; Additional reporting by Julien Pretot in Paris and Mitch Phillips in London; Editing by Ken Ferris and Sanjeev Miglani)
