Coaches

VLADIMIR NAZLYMOV

  • 3-time Olympic Champion & 10-time World Champion
  • Head Coach of USSR National team, personal coach of Olympic and World Champions
  • Fencing Coach and PE Instructor with KCMO School district
  • Head coach of Ohio State, leading Buckeyes to 3 National titles
  • Vladimir was at the heart of the development of our program from 2018 to 2020. Right before the pandemic, he took a short-term coaching assignment with Uzbekistan National team. He had to stay in Uzbekistan during COVID and trained two Uzbek sabre fencers to qualify for Tokyo Olympics (one finished in the final of 8). 

FIKRAT VALIYEV

  • Athlete, 1980 – 1997
    • x9 National Champion
    • Career high – Silver Medal at 1997 World Cup
  • Coach, 1997 – Present
    • 2011- 2018 Azerbaijan National Head Coach
    • Personal students won medals at European Championships, USA Sabre Grand-Prix World Cup, placed 4th in the World and competed at London and Rio Olympics
  • Referee, 2003 – Present
    • FIE (International Fencing Federation) leading referee (2016 Rio Olympics, 2018 European, World, US National Championships and upcoming 2018 Youth Olympics)

ALEXANDER (ALEX) FILATOV

Bachelor in Physical Education and Sports from Smolensk State Academy of Physical Culture and Sports
 
As an athlete:
  • Student of Alexander Shirshov, Olympic and World Champion, and teammate of Vitali Nazlymov. (Alexander Shirshov and Vitali Nazlymov were introduced to fencing in the Youth Fencing School founded by Vladimir Nazlymov in the 1970s’s Moscow.)
  • 3-time National Champion, a former member of the Russian National team;
  • Gold Medalist of 2009 World Cup, Odesa, Ukraine;
As a coach:
  • Started coaching under the tutelage of Maestro Shirshov in 2015;
  • Alex’s personal students won medals at international competitions in cadets and juniors, became Bronze medalists at the European Championship in 2020, and multiple winners and prize-winners of national competitions and national championships.

JILL FELDMAN

  • Div III National Champion and Div IA Bronze medalist
  • Jill started coaching with Fairfax Parks & Rec in 1996. Subsequently, she co-founded two clubs in the area – International School of Fencing & Dominion Fencing
  • Assisted Vitali with Sidwell and Norwood after-school programs for the last 2 years
  • In 2018, Jill completed 4-month Coaching Course offered by International Fencing Federation in Budapest, Hungary
  • Jill is member of the National Tournament staff for USA Fencing and held offices in Capitol Division and the Mid-Atlantic Section of US Fencing Association.

ZHENG WANG & VITALI NAZLYMOV

  • Husband and wife team established Nazlymov Fencing LLC in 2018
  • Vitali was a candidate to the USSR 1992 Olympic team prior to transferring to Penn State on a full athletic scholarship
  • 3-time First Team All American, NCAA Individual and Team Champion
  • Worked with Vladimir on establishing a city-wide fencing program in KC
  • US Fencing International Referee for 2000, 2004, and 2012 Olympic cycles
  • Started after-school fencing program at Sidwell Friends in 2016, grew the network to 5 independent schools this year
  • Photo: at 2008 Beijing Olympics

Liza Koroleva

  • Part of the St. Petersburg fencing team 
  • Prize-winner of Russian and international fencing tournaments (individual and team) 
  • 6 years coaching experience, assisted the head coach at St Petersburg club, produced kids who won international competitions.
  • Bachelor’s degree in physical education and sports (Lesgaft National State University)
  • Certified referee in both Sabre and Epee