He was then a two-time World Junior Sabre Individual Champion in and , and ranked 1 in the world for both those years. In , he competed in sabre at the Tokyo Olympics.
The following year, appalled by the Russian invasion of Ukraine , he defected to the United States. He said: "I decided I could no longer live in a country that kills innocent Ukrainians.
Lokhanov was born in Aktobe , Kazakhstan. Lokhanov began fencing when he was eight years old, inspired by watching the Soviet Musketeers and Star Wars to ask his mother to take him to learn to fence.
He was ranked 1 in the world in cadet sabre in both and Lokhanov also won a gold medal in team sabre at the World Junior Fencing Championships. Lokhanov won the World Junior Fencing Championship in individual sabre, as well as in team sabre. Lokhanov repeated, and won the World Junior Fencing Championship in individual sabre, giving him a total of four junior world championships.
In , Lokhanov competed in sabre at the Tokyo Olympics. Used to winning gold medals, Lokhanov was devastated that he had not performed better at the Olympics, and upon arriving home he "lay in bed for a month, ordering food delivery. The Olympic Village is an island of broken dreams. Everyone comes there joyful and inspired, although, naturally, they are nervous. And then there are competitions every day. And every day there are more and more sad people.
