Image source: Getty ImagesByBen BloomBBC Sports22 April 2026Updated three hours agoMiles Chaley-Watson remembers the moment when he sat at his Met Gala dinner table nine years ago. With Madonna on his right and Rihanna to his left, a London-born American fencing champion was the unexpected filling of a sandwich of pop royalty. Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time Formula One World Champion, was also at his table. Hamilton has since become Chamley Watson’s “bestie”. “I was like, ‘Wow! What am I doing?'” Chamley-Watson recalls. “It was amazing – I had watched these people, listened to them as a child and now I was sitting at the same table. “You realize that everyone here is the best in their field. It was really, really awesome. It was my first taste at celebrity stardom. “I was probably one of the only people at the table who everyone thought: Who the hell is this 6ft 5in blonde guy that fences?” After that, everything changed for me. “Chamley Watson, 36, is one of the top fencers in the world. He has been a leading fencer for more than 10 years. He has competed in three Olympics and won team bronze in 2016. He was the first American to win an individual title when he won foil gold in 2013. His latest dream is to take the sport mainstream with this week’s launch of his World Fencing League. He has a new dream: to make fencing mainstream. This week, he launched the World Fencing League. “My life has become so crazy,” he admits. “I’d like to tell my teammates and talk to them about this, but it is just too unrelatable. Even for me, this is crazy. “Image source, Getty ImagesIt’s a far cry away from his humble origins and unusual path into the sport. Chamley-Watson was raised in London before his family moved to New York at the age of nine. He describes himself as “a bad kid” growing up. He was required to choose between badminton, tennis or fencing in order to focus. He chose fencing. “If you think of fencing, we are sword-fighting,” says an Arsenal fan whose English accent remains evident decades after leaving London. “I was like, ‘Sick! This is the coolest sports there is. “His schoolwork was better and he discovered he had a natural affinity for fencing. Chamley-Watson, however, says that he felt he “didn’t belong”. “I grew up thinking that there was no one who looked like me.” he said. “But as soon as I started winning it didn’t matter where I was from. We’re all the exact same when we put on our masks. “That’s what makes fencing so unique. It’s almost like Bruce Wayne becoming Batman. When you put on your mask, you feel like you can do whatever you want. “But I didn’t feel comfortable at any time. I’ve dealt with racism in the sports since I was 14 years old. “Those experiences have played a significant role in his creation of the World Fencing League, which launches on Saturday in Los Angeles.His hope is for the competition to take the sport mainstream so that “boys, girls, brown, black, anyone from all walks of life” are inspired to try fencing.The inaugural event sees 12 of the world’s top fencers split into two teams, competing for a prize pot of $100,000 (PS74,000) – an amount unheard of in a sport that struggles for professionalism.Employing modified scoring and new AI blade-tracking technology to allow viewers to see the swords’ rapid movements, the aim is to make fencing “shorter, easier to understand and more visually appealing”.Not everyone is onboard, with some traditionalists unsupportive of the new format. “Unfortunately, it is necessary to upset some feathers in order to make a major change in a sport like fencing, which is so traditional,” says Chamley Watson. “We can change a sport for ever. “Seven-time Olympic Gymnastics Champion Simone Biles was among the high-profile sports and entertainment personalities who posted about the event on Facebook, with a multitude of VIPs expected to attend Saturday’s event. Will Ferrari driver Hamilton be at the event? “He’s a good friend of mine, so what does a friend do?” Chamley-Watson. “When you have someone as good as that, you will support each other even when you are not working. There will be no F1 race on that weekend, so there is your answer. “Fencing will soon become more glamorous. Related topicsOlympic GamesFencing
