Fencing is one of the most storied sports on the program at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Fencing's origins can be traced all the way back to swordplay, which has been practiced for thousands of years. While fencing can be linked specifically back to French, Italian and German masters, the sport has since become widespread and is practiced all over the world.

In fencing, two athletes holding a weapon in one hand face each other to strike their opponent on a valid target of the body. The rules differ depending on which of the three weapons is being used: foil, épée and sabre. The first fencer to reach 15 points or whomever has the most points when time expires is the match winner. In the team fencing event, the first team to score a total of 45 points or whichever has the highest score when time expires is the winner.

Fencing joined the Olympic program back in the 1896 Athens Games and has been present at every Games since. Women's fencing made its debut on the Olympic stage at the 1924 Paris Games. Women competed only in the foil event until the 1996 Atlanta Games, when women's épée was added. Women's sabre was added for the first time at the 2004 Athens Games.