Air Force fencing assistant coach Sebastien Dos Santos was named the USA Fencing Women’s Epee National Coach, according to a Jan. 8 announcement by USA Fencing.
This appointment is significant for both Air Force and the national fencing community, as Dos Santos brings extensive experience at the highest levels of international competition.
Dos Santos is a five-time Olympic coach with 27 years of international coaching experience across three countries and five Olympic Games. He previously worked with USA Fencing from 2009 to 2021. His achievements include helping secure the first-ever Senior World Championship gold for USA men’s epee in 2012 and serving as Director of Epee when the U.S. women’s team won their historic World Championship title in 2018.
Most recently, Dos Santos was named the 2025 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Assistant Coach of the Year while working with Air Force’s epee group. During the 2024-25 season, he helped produce three NCAA qualifiers: Omar Emara, Ellie Kim, and Christina Watrall. Watrall earned gold medals at both the West Regional and MPSF women’s epee events in 2025, while Emara claimed gold in men’s epee at MPSF. The women’s epee group of Kim and Watrall secured gold and silver medals at both major championships that year, while George Gasparovich IV and Emara contributed silver and bronze medals in men’s epee at the West Regional.
Dos Santos will continue his work with Air Force fencing alongside his new responsibilities with USA Fencing.
