Tbilisi, Georgia -- Former Wayne State University fencer Ziad Elsissy (Alexandria, Egypt) and current WSU student-athlete Mahmoud Elsayed (Tanta, Gharbia, Egypt) both saw action at the 2025 Fencing World Championships.  The event was hosted at the Sports Palace in Tbilisi, Georgia, and spanned over nine days.

Just over three months after claiming gold in the Junior Men's Epee World Championships, Elsayed competed in the 2025 Senior World Championships and flourished.  The Wayne State student-athlete began the competition well, finishing the first day of pool play with a 6-0 bout record that included two 5-0 triumphs and an impressive +18 touch differential (27-9).  His performance in pool competition earned him the No. 19 seed entering the direct-elimination stage.  

While in DE, Elsayed collected a 15-13 win while facing No. 46-seeded Xinkun Zhang of China in the Table of 64 and a 15-11 triumph in his bout with Denmark's Conrad Seibaek Kongstad, who was seeded 51st, in the Table of 32.  The WSU student-athlete fell in the Table of 16 to eventual runner-up and current World No. 1-ranked, Gergely Siklosi of Hungary 15-10.

Elsayed competed in the team competition as well, helping Egypt to a 10th-place finish.  In the squad's Table of 32 bout, the WSU student-athlete collected three bout victories (5-0, 5-4, 5-1) to aid the team to a 45-18 victory over Saudi Arabia.  Egypt fell 42-40 to Switzerland in the Table of 16.

Elsissy (seeded 12th) was one-of-16 sabreists that was exempt from pool play and advanced straight to the direct-elimination stage.  The WSU Hall of Fame member opened DE by besting Bakdaulet Kuralbekuly 15-8 in the Table of 64.  Elsissy captured two more bout victories as he defeated No. 21-seeded Frederic Kindler 15-13 and topped No. 60-seeded Szymon Hryciuk 15-12.  In the Table of Eight (quarterfinal round), Ziad fell to current World No 2-ranked and eventual champion, Sandro Bazadze 15-13.

In the team portion of the event, Elsissy was a part of Egypt's sabre team, assisting the team to a 10th-place finish.  Egypt topped Mexico 45-28 with Elsissy nabbing two bout victories (5-1, 5-3).  The squad fell in the ensuing bout (Table of 16) 45-44 to China.

Following the event, Elsayed now ranks 17th in the world in Senior Men's Epee while Elsissy appears as the No. 15-ranked individual in Senior Men's Sabre.