Miles Chamley-Watson
| Miles Chamley-Watson | |
|---|---|
 Chamley-Watson at the 2023 Pan American Games
| |
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Miles Cleveland Chamley-Watson |
| Born |
December 3, 1989 London, United Kingdom |
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (196 cm) |
| Weight | 205 lb (93 kg) |
| Sport | |
| Country | United States |
| Sport | Fencing |
| Weapon | Foil |
| Hand | Right-handed |
| Club | Los Angeles International Fencing Center |
| Head coach | Michael Itkin |
| FIE ranking | current ranking |
Miles Chamley-Watson, (born December 3, 1989) is a British-born American right-handed foil fencer. He is a 12-time team Pan American champion, team world champion (2019), individual world champion (2013), two-time Olympian, and team Olympic bronze medalist (2016).
Childhood
Miles Chamley-Watson was born in London. He is of Jamaican, Irish, British, and Malawian descent. He spent the first eight years of his life as a resident of the UK until he and his family moved to the United States. Upon arriving to the US, Chamley-Watson and his family settled in New York City, where he began fencing one year later, at the Knox School in Saint James, New York. After spending four years in New York City, Chamley-Watson and his family settled in Philadelphia.
College
Chamley-Watson earned a full scholarship to the Pennsylvania State University in the year 2008. During his tenure at Penn State, Chamley-Watson majored in Sports Management, where he transferred what he had learned and what he was continuing to learn from the sport of fencing to help boost his knowledge in his area of study.
First year (2008–2009)
During Chamley-Watson's first year as a Division I NCAA fencer, he maintained a 19–4 record. He advanced to the semi-finals round in the national championship tournament in the men's foil category. However, Chamley-Watson was defeated in the semi-finals 15 to 14 by teammate Nicholas Chinman. The Nittany Lions Fencing team ended the tournament on top as the 2008–2009 National Team Champions.
Second year (2009–2010)
Much like his first year, Chamley-Watson went to the semi-final round of the NCAA championships. This time, Chamley-Watson was defeated by Notre Dame's Olympic fencer Gerek Meinhardt.
Junior year (2010–2011)
Nearing the end of his collegiate career, Chamley-Watson had the choice to redshirt his junior year of college, which would mean taking the year off from competitions in favor of more intense practice and skill-development, or choose to compete and redshirt his senior year. Chamley-Watson decided to compete in the NCAA Championships his junior year and redshirt his senior year.
Senior year (2011–2012)
After finishing 2nd place in men's foil at the NCAA tournament, Chamley-Watson decided that it was time to utilize his allotted redshirt year. During this hiatus from NCAA competition, Chamley-Watson privately practiced fencing. Chamley-Watson would earn himself the top spot on the United States' Olympic Fencing team as a foil fencer.
International career
Chamley-Watson entered the 2012 Summer Olympics as the No. 2 ranked foil fencer. His first round in the games he was presented a bye into the next round. In the second round, Chamley-Watson fenced Alaaeldin Abouelkassem, an opponent representing the country of Egypt, and was defeated 15 – 10. Abouelkassem went on to earn the silver medal in the event. In the team event, the United States beat France 45–39 in the quarterfinals, but lost 24–45 to Italy in the semi-final. In the bronze medal fight, the United States lost 27–45 to Germany.
At the 2013 World Championships, Chamley-Watson became the first male US fencer to win an individual gold medal at the World Championships.
At the 2016 Olympics, Chamley-Watson again lost in the second round, this time to Russia's Artur Akhmatkhuzin, 13–15. In the team event, the United States beat Egypt 45–27 in the quarterfinals, before losing 41–45 to Russia in the semi-finals. In the bronze medal match, the United States beat Italy 45–31.
Signature Move
During a match in his World Championships debut, Chamley-Watson wrapped his arm around the back of his head and struck his opponent in the chest with his foil. It was the first time a fencer had ever used this kind of behind-the-back flick in a competition. Unsure of its legality, the referee stopped the match to check the move on video replay. After it was determined to be legitimate, Chamley-Watson was awarded his own signature fencing move, eponymously named 'the Chamley-Watson'.
Medal Record
Olympic Games
| Year | Location | Event | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Team Men's Foil | 3rd |
World Championship
| Year | Location | Event | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Budapest, Hungary | Individual Men's Foil | 1st |
| 2013 | Budapest, Hungary | Team Men's Foil | 2nd |
| 2017 | Leipzig, Germany | Team Men's Foil | 2nd |
| 2018 | Wuxi, China | Team Men's Foil | 2nd |
| 2019 | Budapest, Hungary | Team Men's Foil | 1st |
Pan American Championship
| Year | Location | Event | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Querétaro City, Mexico | Team Men's Foil | 1st |
| 2009 | San Salvador, El Salvador | Individual Men's Foil | 3rd |
| 2009 | San Salvador, El Salvador | Team Men's Foil | 1st |
| 2010 | San José, Costa Rica | Individual Men's Foil | 2nd |
| 2010 | San José, Costa Rica | Team Men's Foil | 1st |
| 2011 | Reno, Nevada | Team Men's Foil | 1st |
| 2012 | Cancún, Mexico | Team Men's Foil | 1st |
| 2013 | Cartagena, Colombia | Individual Men's Foil | 3rd |
| 2013 | Cartagena, Colombia | Team Men's Foil | 1st |
| 2014 | San José, Costa Rica | Team Men's Foil | 1st |
| 2015 | Santiago, Chile | Team Men's Foil | 1st |
| 2016 | Panama City, Panama | Individual Men's Foil | 3rd |
| 2017 | Montreal, Canada | Individual Men's Foil | 3rd |
| 2017 | Montreal, Canada | Team Men's Foil | 1st |
| 2018 | Havana, Cuba | Team Men's Foil | 1st |
| 2019 | Toronto, Canada | Team Men's Foil | 1st |
| 2023 | Lima, Peru | Team Men's Foil | 1st |
Grand Prix
| Date | Location | Event | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 05/24/2010 | St. Petersburg, Russia | Individual Men's Foil | 3rd |
| 05/15/2015 | Shanghai, China | Individual Men's Foil | 1st |
World Cup
| Date | Location | Event | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 06/12/2009 | Estado Vargas, Venezuela | Individual Men's Foil | 3rd |
| 06/11/2010 | Margarita Island, Venezuela | Individual Men's Foil | 2nd |
| 02/05/2016 | Bonn, Germany | Individual Men's Foil | 2nd |
| 11/11/2016 | Tokyo, Japan | Individual Men's Foil | 1st |
Modeling
Growing up, Chamley-Watson was immersed in the fashion world by virtue of his mother, who was formerly a model in the UK. In addition to his interest in fashion, Chamley-Watson was motivated to begin modeling as a way to give the sport of fencing more exposure.
When Chamley-Watson was 17-years-old, he was scouted by Ford Models while walking on the street in New York City. However, he told the agency that he was going to college soon and couldn’t sign with them. A few years later, when Chamley-Watson redshirted his senior year of college to prepare for the Olympics, he took the opportunity to also begin modeling on the side. From there, Chamley-Watson’s modeling career grew.
In 2017, Chamley-Watson signed with IMG Models, and is still currently represented by them.
Sponsorships and Partnerships
Chamley-Watson is currently sponsored by Red Bull, Nike, Richard Mille, and Cash App. He wears his sponsors’ logos on his fencing equipment—on his mask, glove, and jacket. Additionally, he regularly wears a Richard Mille watch and Nike fencing shoes and socks at competitions, as well as a Red Bull cap in between matches and on podiums.
Chamley-Watson is also sponsored by Absolute Fencing Gear, who supply all of the fencing equipment for his training and competitions.
As the most followed fencer in the world, Chamley-Watson frequently uses his social media to post about his sponsorships, and to also post about new and recurring partnerships. He is currently partnered with Mercedes-Benz, Dior, Michael Kors, Dita Eyewear, and DKNY.
Injury
In March 2021, during the Doha Grand Prix, Chamley-Watson suffered an injury during a match when his right knee was hit by his opponent’s foil, causing severe blunt trauma to the knee cap and almost breaking it. His knee injury caused him to be out for the remainder of the season and, consequently, miss the 2020 Summer Olympics. Chamley-Watson spent the following months recovering.
This was the first injury of Chamley-Watson’s career.
Personal life
Chamley-Watson has recently been involved in voters rights, participating the ID check with VoteRiders and urging his followers to do the same.