Duke University Women's Fencing

Omar Elgeziry was named head coach of the fencing program in July of 2023. Elgeziry succeeded Alex Beguinet , who was at the helm of the Blue Devils for near...

Ahmed Abdallah joined Duke as an assistant coach overseeing épée in October, 2024. In his first season with the Blue Devils, Abdallah helped mentor Allen Marakov to the bronze medal in épée at the ACC Championships as Duke took second in the women’s team competition at in the conference postseason event. Abdallah came to Durham after serving as a coach with the Tim Morehouse Fencing Club for the past five years. A former Egyptian National Team member (2004-14) from Tanta, Egypt, Abdallah started fencing at age nine. Prior to coaching, Abdallah fenced at world championships, grand prix and world cups. He had a top-16 finish at the Egypt World Cup in 2006. Additionally, he was the Tanta University fencing captain and won gold, silver and bronze medals in both the Egyptian and Arabian University Championships. Coaching epee since 2015, Abdallah started in his native Egypt and quickly moved to work with young fencers in New Jersey as part of the New Jersey Fencing Alliance. He joined Tim Morehouse Fencing Club in 2021 as a founding coach of its Chelsea Piers location. His students won both regional and national medals. Abdallah earned his bachelor's degree in medicine and surgery from Egypt's Tanta University in 2012.

Former Olympic fencer Jacek Huchwajda joined the Duke fencing staff as an assistant coach in July of 2013. Entering his 13th season, Huchwajda works closely ...

Leslie Marx will enter her 24th season as a volunteer assistant coach at Duke in 2025-26. A 1989 graduate of Duke, Marx is one of the most celebrated Blue Devil fencers, having won the 1995 Pan American Championship as well as finishing 16th in women’s epee at the 1996 Olympics. While at Duke, the former Leslie McFarland competed in the NCAA Regionals while also earning Academic All-America honors. In October of 2017, Marx captured gold in Women’s Vet-50 Epee at the 2017 Veteran World Championships in Slovenia. Marx claimed the title of World Champion in her first year eligible to compete at the Vet Worlds. Following graduation at Duke with a degree in mathematics, she went on to get her Ph.D. in economics from Northwestern. Marx returned to Duke in 2002 and is currently the Robert A. Bandeen Professor of Economics at the Fuqua School of Business.

Shaimaa Elgammal joined Duke as an assistant coach overseeing foil in September, 2024. Duke’s foilists had a strong season in Elgammal’s first campaign with the Blue Devils. The four-time Olympian helped four athletes earn NCAA Championship bids with Rachel Koo and Dayaal Singh garnering All-America honors. The Blue Devils took 12th at the NCAA Championships with just four fencers competing. A native of Egypt, Elgammal competed in the women's foil events at the 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics, becoming her nation's first female competitor to appear in four Olympic games. Elgammal was an individual fencer in all four games for Egypt while adding team responsibilities in 2008 and 2012. She helped Egypt place eighth as a team in 2008 and ninth in 2012. Her highest individual finish was 23rd in 2004. As the national coach, Elgammal helped Yara El Sharkawy to the 2021 Olympic games and to more than 20 African medals and more than eight Mediterranean medals. Elgammal also served as the head coach at Katameya Petorsport Club from 2016-23. A Certified Expert Foil Coach from the International Fencing Federation (FIE), Elgammal has attended three FIE International Training Camps. She also went through the International Coaching Enrichment Certificate Program in 2018 and graduated with honors. As part of the program, participants presented on improving coaching infrastructure in their home countries. Elgammal gained additional international experience last August by leading a