They maintained their request the year after, suggesting Cleveland or Indianapolis as hosts.

For instance, Bulgaria's men sabre team unknowingly arrived late at their quarter-final match against West Germany, as the official timetable had been changed along the way; the West Germans protested, and the Bulgarians were disqualified.

Épée saw several surprises, notably the victory of Spain's Manuel Pereira, who had never placed in the Top 8 of an international tournament before, and who never reached that level again.

[1] Women's épée was still a young weapon, allowed by the FIE at the 1988 World Criterium as a demonstration event.

An outsider, Switzerland's Anja Straub, prevailed over Germany's Ute Schäper and Italy's Annalisa Coltorti, while the women's team event saw the beginning of the Hungarian domination.