THE COACHES AT EFCA
Our coaches provide the best guidance and instruction that will lead our fencers to success.
Dmitri Romankov
Head Coach
Coach Dmitri Romankov is one of the world’s premier foil coaches. He graduated with a Master’s Degree in Physical Education and Sport from the Belarusian State University of Physical Culture (BSUPC) and finished his career as a professional fencer at age 24. As a coach, Romankov has worked with the Taiwanese National Team, Belarusian National Team, Stanford University Fencing Team, Ohio State University Fencing Team, and is currently the head coach of the SCAD-Atlanta Varsity Fencing Team.
He has produced an impressive number of international fencers who have excelled at all levels of fencing competition:
- Alexander Choupenitch (CZE) – Bronze Medalist at 2021 Tokyo Olympics, 2016 Olympian, Junior World Champion, Junior European Champion, Current World #11
- Carolina Stutchbury (GBR) – Current Junior World #1, 2022 Cadet Vice World Champion, 2022 Junior World Championships 3rd Place
- Eleanor Harvey (CAN) – Current World #3, 7th Place at 2016 Rio Olympics, 2021 Tokyo Olympian, NCAA Division 1 Champion at Ohio State
- Maximilien Chastanet (FRA) – Current World #14, Former Junior World #1, NCAA Division 1 Champion at Ohio State
- Mona Saito (LEB) – 2016 Olympian
- Anya Andreyenka (BLR) – Belarusian National Team, Awarded Master of Sports of International Class, Junior World Cup Silver Medalist, Former Junior World Top 8, Belarus National Champion 2019, Current SCAD Student
- Yana Andreyenka (BLR) – Belarusian National Team, Awarded Master of Sports, Junior World Cup Gold Medalist, Former Junior World Top 8, Belarus National Champion 2020, Current SCAD Student
- Vitaljis Kuceba (LAT) – Latvian National Team, 2019 Budapest World Championships Top 64, Current SCAD Student
Fencing is in Coach Romankov’s blood. His family’s involvement in fencing goes back generations, including legends of the sport. Dmitri’s father, Vladimir, was a world champion, while his uncle, Alexandr, is considered perhaps the greatest foil fencer of all time.
Eric Paracka
Administrator / Coach
Current administrator and assistant coach of EPIC Fencing Club Atlanta. Having received his master’s degree in Biblical Archaeology, Eric Paracka has been involved in fencing for over twenty years. In his youth he competed at the regional and national levels as one of the top-performing fencers within the Southeast U.S.
Eric currently acts as Epic Fencing’s administrator of operations and coach, as well as the current volunteer assistant coach for SCAD-Atlanta’s Varsity Fencing Team. He always pushes his fencers to be the very best physically and mentally. Eric has been a part of the EFCA family since its outset; his contributions are highly impactful to the growth and development of Epic Fencing Club Atlanta.
Oswaldo Ortega
Foil Coach
Maestro Oswaldo Ortega hails from a family of fencers in Venezuela, which is how Oswaldo found his passion for the sport. He competed individually in sabre and foil, earning multiple podium finishes at international competitions with the Venezuelan team. He trained in Paris, France, at the Institute of Sport and Physical Education, one of the world’s most respected and widely known fencing programs, earning the title of Maestro.
While in Europe, he was voted Coach of the Year in 1988. He coached the Venezuela national fencing team for ten years before moving to the US in 1996. He coached the US Junior National Team for four years.
His students have been highly successful in regional and national competitions. While Oswaldo’s list of successes are too lengthy to place here in their entirety, some of his students’ most recent results include:
- Caterina Fedeli (USA) – 2022 December North American Cup (NAC) – 9th Place Junior Women’s Foil, 2022 USA Summer Nationals – 2nd Place Y14 Women’s Foil
- Francesco Fedeli (USA) – 2022 Y10 Men’s Foil U.S National Champion
- Sean Oh (USA) – 2022 December North American Cup (NAC) – 9th Place Cadet Men’s Foil
- Yana Andreyenka (BLR) – 2022 October North American Cup (NAC) – 13th Place Senior Women’s Foil, 2021 October North American Cup (NAC) – 13th Place Senior Women’s Foil
- Andy Zhang (USA) – 2022 Division 1 National Championships – 18th Place Senior Men’s Foil, 2022 July Challenge – 21st Place Senior Men’s Foil
- Leonardo Song (USA) – 2022 Junior Olympics – 13th Place Cadet Men’s Foil
- Owen Tang (USA) – 2022 March North American Cup (NAC)- 3rd Place Y14 Men’s Foil, Cadet National Ranking #22
- Henry Qian (USA) – Y10 National Ranking #11
- José Ortega (VEN) – Seventh in the World for Junior Men’s Foil (1997)