BENFENCING
ABOUT BEN
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BENFENCING / COACHES

THE COACHES
BEHIND THE JOURNEY

Benjamin’s development as a sabre fencer has been shaped by an exceptional group of athletes and coaches from the highest levels of the sport.

Olympians. World champions. National champions. Elite international coaches.

Each has brought a different perspective, system and competitive experience to Benjamin’s development — from his formative years to his transition onto the international stage.

01
Archil “Achiko” Lortkipanidze
Archil Achiko Lortkipanidze with Benjamin Gurewich, Tim Morehouse and a teammate after a fencing competition

BENJAMIN’S CURRENT PRIMARY COACH

Archil “Achiko” Lortkipanidze

Georgian Olympian, five-time Georgian National Champion, Soviet Union Cup finalist and World Cup finalist.

Lortkipanidze represented Georgia in men’s sabre at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games before building a coaching career spanning more than 25 years.

A Master Sabre Coach and Co-Founder of Scarsdale Fencing Center, Achiko has worked with national-team athletes and leading U.S. fencing programs, developing competitors who have succeeded at national and international levels.

Today, Achiko is Benjamin’s primary coach and the central coaching figure in the current stage of his development — preparing him for international competition and the next level of his career.

Explore Archil’s story →
02
Portrait of Alexander Lepeshinsky
Alexander Lepeshinsky with Benjamin Gurewich after a youth fencing competition

FORMATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Alexander Lepeshinsky

Belarusian-American international sabre coach with more than three decades of experience. A multiple-time Champion of Belarus, he holds a Master’s Degree in Physical Education with a specialization in fencing and has coached elite men’s and women’s athletes at national, international, NCAA and Olympic levels.

Lepeshinsky coached Benjamin for many years and played an important role in shaping him as a sabre fencer during his formative development.

Explore Alexander’s story →
03
Ziad Elsissy
Ziad Elsissy coaching Benjamin Gurewich during a fencing competition

ACTIVE WORLD-CLASS FENCER + ELITE COACH

Ziad Elsissy

Egyptian Olympic sabre fencer, two-time Olympian, 2023 Individual World Championship bronze medalist, and the first African and Arab men’s sabre fencer to reach World No. 1.

He finished fourth individually at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games — the highest Olympic finish in Egyptian sabre history.

Still competing at the highest international level, Ziad is also the founder and head coach of Z1 Fencing Club, bringing Benjamin the perspective of both an active world-class athlete and an elite sabre coach.

Explore Ziad’s story →
04
Tim Morehouse in a USA Fencing team jacket
Tim Morehouse coaching Benjamin Gurewich and young fencers during a competition

OLYMPIC ATHLETE + COACH / EDUCATOR / PROGRAM BUILDER

Tim Morehouse

Three-time U.S. Olympian, 2008 Olympic silver medalist in men’s team sabre, and two-time U.S. Individual National Champion.

Morehouse reached the individual quarterfinals at the London 2012 Olympic Games and represented the United States on nine Senior World Championship teams.

After a competitive career shaped by 15 years under four-time Olympian and USA Fencing Hall of Fame coach Yury Gelman, Morehouse became a prominent coach and educator, developing national-level athletes and building one of the leading sabre programs in the United States.

Explore Tim’s story →

COACHES & MENTORS ALONG THE WAY

A wider circle
around the journey.

Beyond the four central coaching chapters, Benjamin has learned from accomplished coaches, champions and mentors through lessons, camps, clubs and competitions.
Mitch Berliner speaking with a young Benjamin Gurewich and a group of fencers

FIRST COACH

Mitch Berliner

A longtime South Florida sabre coach. Together with Daniel Berliner, he first opened the world of fencing to Benjamin and gave him his introduction to the sport.
Vladimir Lilov with Benjamin Gurewich and a fellow young fencer

MENTOR & REFEREE

Vladimir Lilov

A trusted mentor who has consistently supported Benjamin and offered thoughtful advice throughout tournaments. As a referee, he is respected for integrity, fairness and sound judgment.
Konate Primus with a young Benjamin Gurewich after a fencing competition

SABRE COACH · NELLYA FENCERS CLUB

Konate Primus

A two-time U.S. National Champion and Junior World Cup silver medalist, Primus joined Nellya Fencers in 2018 after coaching at the Peter Westbrook Foundation.
Iba Keita coaching Benjamin Gurewich beside the piste

SABRE COACH · TIM MOREHOUSE FENCING CLUB

Iba Keita

A former Junior African Champion from Senegal and FIE Master of Arms, with extensive international competitive and coaching experience.
Terrence Lasker with young fencers at the Orlando Challenge

SABRE COACH · NELLYA FENCERS CLUB

Terrence Lasker

A sabre coach at Nellya Fencers Club who has worked with Benjamin and other developing athletes.
Eli Dershwitz and Ahmed Hamdy Refaee with Benjamin Gurewich and fellow fencers

WORLD CHAMPION · FORMER WORLD NO. 1 · THREE-TIME OLYMPIAN

Eli Dershwitz

The 2023 Senior World Champion, the first American man to win an individual world title in sabre, a former World No. 1 and a three-time U.S. Olympian.

SABRE COACH

Ahmed “Hamdy” Refaee

An internationally experienced coach whose athletes have earned medals at major World Cup and international competitions.

DIFFERENT COACHES.
DIFFERENT SYSTEMS.

ONE SHARED STANDARD:
ELITE SABRE.

Follow Benjamin’s international path →