University of Notre Dame fencing head coach Gia Kvaratskhelia announced the completion of his coaching staff Tuesday, with assistant sabre coach Christian Rascioni joining the Irish ahead of the 2019-20 season. A native of Trieste, Italy, Rascioni earned his “maestro di scherma” (three-weapon fencing master) diploma from the Accademia Nazionale di Scherma and the Italian Fencing Coach Association in 2005. Previously, he earned an Italian Olympic Committee Pedagogical diploma in 1999.

“Christian is known as one of the best sabre specialists in the world,” Kvaratskhelia said. “We expect him to make an impact with our sabre squad from day one. His work ethic, attention to detail and kind nature fit our program perfectly. Our entire staff is thrilled to have him here. We would like to thank everyone in our administration, from deputy athletics director Jody Sadler and athletics strategy advisor Jenny Borg, to assistant athletics director Maureen McNamara and everyone else for making this transition as quick and smooth as possible.”