The former All-American secured his first Olympic medal in his third appearance at the Games
Even though he fell short of tasting gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics, St. John’s fencing alum Fares Ferjani will go home with his first Olympic medal after winning silver for Tunisia in the Men’s Individual Saber event this past Saturday inside the ornate Grand Palais.
Ferjani secured Tunisia its 16th Olympic medal in its history and its second-ever medal in fencing after an improbable run to the final in which he upset Egypt’s Ziad Elsissy, the top-ranked men’s saber in the world, by a score of 15-14 in the semifinals.
However, Ferjani would lose his gold medal match against South Korea’s Oh-Sang Uk by a score of 15-11, taking silver instead.
The 27-year-old Carthage native previously finished 22nd in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and 25th in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Ferjani’s silver finish was the first time a St. John’s fencing alum medaled at the Olympics since American Daryl Homer won the silver medal in men’s saber at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
In six years at St. John’s, Ferjani earned three First Team All-American honors and a Second Team All-American honor. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and a Master’s in International Business.