LAPost / Los Angeles, CA (Sept. 26, 2026) — By Richard Ren / LAPost

For American foil fencer Nick Itkin, fencing began in Los Angeles and eventually took him to the world’s biggest sporting stage. Now, the Los Angeles native and Olympic medalist is setting his sights on 2028 — when the Olympic Games will return to his hometown.

On Sept. 26, Itkin was the keynote speaker at the AwakenDo International Forum on Sports, Music & Education, held at the UCLA James West Alumni Center. Speaking under the title “My Fencing Journey,” Itkin shared his path from a young fencer in Los Angeles to the Olympic stage, as well as his ambitions for LA28.

Itkin represented the United States at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics, earning two Olympic medals: a bronze medal with the U.S. men’s foil team in Tokyo and an individual bronze medal in men’s foil in Paris. He is also a two-time NCAA individual champion and has won medals at the World Championships and other major international competitions.

His fencing journey began at the Los Angeles International Fencing Center (LAIFC), where he trained from a young age under his father and coach, Misha Itkin. He later attended the University of Notre Dame, balancing his studies with a growing commitment to elite fencing.

Today, Itkin is also giving back to the sport through the Nick Itkin Foundation. Working with LAIFC, the foundation provides young athletes with opportunities to learn fencing and supports them with training, equipment, competitions and scholarships.

Looking back on his early years, Itkin does not describe himself as a young athlete destined for championships.

“I wasn’t that strong as a youth fencer,” he told the audience.

What changed was his growing appreciation for the sport and his willingness to challenge himself.

Itkin said he had once been comfortable relying on a few actions he knew well. But when he deliberately began working on techniques he was not good at, his development accelerated.

“When I forced myself to get out of my comfort zone and do things I wasn’t good at, that’s when I grew the most,” he said.

That lesson became an important principle throughout his career.

To Itkin, foil fencing is about much more than speed and physical ability. He described it as almost “physical chess.”

A fencer must constantly anticipate what an opponent might do, analyze their tendencies and adjust in a split second. Before major competitions, Itkin studies his opponents, looking at their habits and how they tend to react in both critical and non-critical situations.

For him, becoming an elite fencer means learning not only how to move quickly, but also how to think quickly.

Another major turning point came during Itkin’s years at Notre Dame.

During the Tokyo Olympic cycle, he was a 20-year-old college student. At the time, few people expected him to make the U.S. Olympic team.

He faced a difficult choice: focus on his studies and begin planning for a career outside fencing, or commit himself fully to the sport and pursue his Olympic dream.

He chose fencing.

He began competing more frequently, attending training camps and pursuing every opportunity to earn a place on the Olympic team.

Once he made that decision, he said, his path became much clearer.

That commitment eventually took him to the Tokyo Olympics.

Tokyo was Itkin’s first Olympic experience. The attention and pressure were unlike anything he had encountered at ordinary international competitions.

After competing individually, he helped the U.S. men’s foil team win a bronze medal.

Four years later in Paris, Itkin arrived with considerably more international experience. He knew there would be larger crowds, greater attention and heightened expectations.

By then, he had developed his own way of dealing with pressure.

When he feels nervous, Itkin said, he tries to remind himself that his opponent may be even more nervous and under even greater pressure.

That mental adjustment helped him stay focused in Paris, where he won an individual bronze medal in men’s foil.

For Itkin, handling pressure is not something an athlete learns from a single competition.

“The more tournaments you get through, the more individual experience you have,” he said.

Every competition becomes preparation for the next moment of pressure.

Today, Itkin’s role extends beyond being an Olympic athlete.

Through the Nick Itkin Foundation, he is working to give the next generation of young athletes opportunities to discover fencing.

In partnership with LAIFC, the foundation supports youth programs and helps provide access to training, equipment and competition opportunities.

The work has a personal connection for Itkin. He was once the young athlete walking into a Los Angeles fencing club and picking up a foil for the first time. Now he hopes to give other young people the same opportunity.

During the forum, he encouraged young athletes not to be afraid of trying things they are not good at.

For Itkin, meaningful growth rarely happens inside the comfort zone. It happens when people are forced to learn something new, deal with setbacks and confront pressure.

Tokyo gave Itkin his first Olympic experience. Paris taught him how to handle the pressure of being an established Olympic athlete. Los Angeles 2028 could be the most personal Olympic chapter of his career.

This is his hometown.

He grew up here, began fencing here and continues to train here.

But competing at home also means facing greater expectations.

“I know there’s going to be more pressure in Los Angeles,” he said.

This time, however, Itkin will not be the 20-year-old making his Olympic debut.

Two Olympic Games, years of international competition and the lessons he has learned from performing under pressure will all come with him to LA28.

From a young fencer in a Los Angeles training hall to an Olympic medalist in Tokyo and Paris, and now a foundation founder helping introduce the sport to a new generation, Itkin’s story is still being written.

And the next chapter will take place in the city where it all began.

In 2028, Nick Itkin hopes to pick up his foil once again — this time on home soil, in Los Angeles, for another Olympic challenge.