Alexander Massialas

1.1. Family and heritage

Massialas's mother, Chwan-Hui Chen, immigrated from Taiwan to the United States to pursue graduate studies, focusing on piano and pedagogy. His maternal grandfather operated a Taiwanese company named King Chong Hong (慶昌行^Chinese), which specialized in importing Asian ingredients and utensils into the United States. Massialas has expressed immense pride in his Taiwanese heritage, stating in a 2021 interview that he "always been extremely proud of my Taiwanese heritage and I jump at any opportunity to return to Taiwan".

His father, Greg Massialas, is a notable figure in American fencing, having competed for the United States in the 1984 Summer Olympics and 1988 Summer Olympics. Greg Massialas also served as the coach for the American national foil team and was Alexander's personal coach. Alexander's sister, Sabrina Massialas, is also an accomplished fencer who has competed in the Olympics.

1.2. Education

Massialas attended the Chinese American International School in San Francisco from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, where he first began fencing as a child. He later graduated from the Drew School. Following his secondary education, he enrolled at Stanford University in the fall of 2012 on a fencing scholarship. He successfully completed his academic pursuits, earning a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in mechanical engineering in 2017. In July 2023, Massialas gained professional experience by working at MHC Engineers, a mechanical engineering firm owned by his maternal uncle, Meng Hsiu-Chen.

2.1. Beginnings and collegiate career

Massialas showed an early, spontaneous interest in fencing, but his father made him wait until he was seven years old before allowing him to begin formal training. As a child, he was very athletic, participating in various sports; he played soccer and was a member of the basketball and swimming teams at Drew School. His talent in fencing earned him a scholarship to Stanford University, which he began attending in the fall of 2012. During his collegiate career, Massialas achieved notable success, including winning the NCAA individual men's foil title in his freshman season in 2013. He repeated this achievement in 2015, after placing in the semifinal round in 2014.

2.2. Olympic Games

Massialas has participated in three Olympic Games, earning multiple medals for the United States.

He made his Olympic debut at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, where he was the youngest male athlete representing the United States. In the individual men's foil event, he advanced to the round of 16 but was defeated by Aleksey Cheremisinov of Russia with a score of 6-15. In the team men's foil event, the U.S. team finished in fourth place.

At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Massialas achieved significant success. He won the Olympic silver medal in the individual men's foil competition. Additionally, he earned a bronze medal as part of the men's team foil event. He continued his Olympic medal streak at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, where he again secured a bronze medal in the men's team foil competition.

2.3. World Championships

Massialas has consistently performed at a high level in the World Fencing Championships, securing a gold medal and multiple silver medals in both individual and team foil events.

He earned his first World Championship medal, a silver, in the team men's foil event at the 2013 championships in Budapest, Hungary. In 2015, he won a silver medal in the individual men's foil event at the championships held in Moscow, Russia. Massialas continued to contribute to the U.S. team's success, earning silver medals in the team men's foil at the 2017 championships in Leipzig, Germany, and again at the 2018 championships in Wuxi, China. His career highlight at the World Championships came in 2019 in Budapest, where he won a gold medal in the team men's foil event. Most recently, he secured another silver medal in the team men's foil at the 2022 championships in Cairo, Egypt.

2.4. Pan American Championships

Massialas has an extensive record of success at the Pan American Fencing Championships, accumulating numerous gold, silver, and bronze medals in both individual and team foil categories across various editions.

He has been a dominant force in the team men's foil event, winning gold medals in 2009 (San Salvador), 2010 (San José), 2011 (Reno, Nevada), 2012 (Cancún), 2013 (Cartagena), 2015 (Santiago), 2016 (Panama City), 2017 (Montreal), 2018 (Havana), 2019 (Toronto), 2022 (Asunción), 2023 (Lima), and 2024 (Lima). This demonstrates his consistent leadership and contribution to the U.S. team's regional supremacy.

In individual men's foil, Massialas has secured two gold medals (2016 Panama City, 2022 Asunción). He also has a significant collection of silver medals from 2011 (Reno, Nevada), 2012 (Cancún), 2014 (San José), 2015 (Santiago), and 2017 (Montreal). His bronze medals in individual foil were won in 2010 (San José), 2018 (Havana), 2019 (Toronto), 2023 (Lima), and 2024 (Lima).

2.5. Grand Prix

Massialas has achieved multiple victories and podium finishes in the Fencing Grand Prix series, showcasing his consistent performance in individual foil competitions around the world.

He secured a silver medal at the 2013 Grand Prix in Saint Petersburg, Russia. In 2014, he earned a bronze medal in Tokyo, Japan. He continued his strong performance with a silver medal in Havana, Cuba, in 2015. Massialas claimed his first Grand Prix gold medal in Shanghai, China, in 2016. He followed this with a silver medal in Turin, Italy, later that year, and another silver in Long Beach, California, in 2017. His second Grand Prix gold came in Turin in 2017. He earned another silver medal in Turin in 2020 and a gold medal in Shanghai in 2023.

2.6. World Cup

Massialas has an impressive record in Fencing World Cup events, securing numerous gold, silver, and bronze medals in both individual and team foil competitions throughout his career.

He has won multiple individual gold medals, including in Seoul, South Korea, in 2014; Tokyo, Japan, in 2015; Paris, France, in 2017; Istanbul, Turkey, in 2023; Tokoname, Japan, in 2023; and Tunis, Tunisia, in 2024. His team gold medal came in Acapulco, Mexico, in 2023.

Massialas has also earned several silver medals in individual foil, such as in Bonn, Germany, in 2018; Paris in 2025. In team foil, he secured silver medals in Tunis in 2024 and Takasaki, Japan, in 2024.

His bronze medal finishes in individual foil include Montreal, Canada, in 2010; Seoul in 2011; Paris in 2012 and 2015; A Coruña, Spain, in 2013; Cairo, Egypt, in 2019 and 2020; and Takasaki in 2024. He also earned a team bronze medal in Paris in 2025.