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arnisador
07-23-2008, 01:27 PM
Sticking Together, Up to a Point (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/23/sports/olympics/23fencing.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=olympic%20fencing&st=cse&oref=slogin)


One floor above the din of New York City, the clang of metal on metal and the squeak of rubber soles echo in every corner of the room at the Manhattan Fencing Club. But in the heads of the five Olympians who came to the city to prepare for Beijing, there are nothing but positive phrases, repeated like rosary prayers.

The fencers’ trance-like state allows them to shift their training to the level of instinct, because in a sport where points come and go in a matter of seconds, every moment spent overthinking is a moment wasted. These five Olympians — Tim Morehouse, Jason Rogers, Keeth Smart, James Williams and Dagmara Wozniak — arrived from all over the country to learn that skill from Yury Gelman, who has served as the United States Olympic team’s men’s sabre coach since 2000. He counts every national champion saberist since 1998 among his students.

Olympics-Fencing-U.S. women dream of sabre medals sweep (http://www.reuters.com/article/olympicsNews/idUSL2132413320080723)


American women have cut through the competition since winning gold and bronze in the individual sabre at the Athens Olympics and are now eyeing gold in the team event, fought for the first time in Beijing.

World number one Sada Jacobson, 2006 world champion Rebecca Ward and Athens gold medallist Mariel Zagunis even dream of sweeping the individual medals and winning the team title.


Background info.:
http://www.reuters.com/article/reutersComService_2_MOLT/idUSL1126728520080723
http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=olymp/news/news.aspx?id=4166823

arnisador
08-07-2008, 09:01 PM
Ward ready to slash her path to the Olympic podium (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/beijing/fight/2008-08-06-ward-fencing_N.htm)


Now 18, Ward is a world champion fencer who has all the pieces in place to become the first U.S. gold medalist at the Beijing Olympics; competition in her sport begins Saturday.

A sidebar suggests that "The women's sabre in fencing likely is one of the three best chances for the USA to sweep an Olympic event, along with the men's shot put and men's BMX cycling."

arnisador
08-09-2008, 03:08 PM
U.S. fencers sweep women's sabre (http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/olympics/story/635066.html)


The U.S. swept the women's individual sabre fencing competition Saturday at the Olympics with Mariel Zagunis successfully defending her gold medal at the National Convention Center.


Zagunis defeated countrywoman Sada Jacobson by a 15-8 score in the gold medal match and Becca Ward made it a clean sweep for the Americans by besting Russia's Sofiya Velikaya, 15-14, in the bronze medal match.


The fencing trio picked up the first three medals for the U.S. at the Beijing Games and gave the Americans the overall medal lead after the first day of competition.


It marks the first time a country has swept the medals in an individual fencing event since Germany did it in women's foil at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games.


Great news! Let's hope it helps build more interest in the WMAs and the sword arts.

Brock
08-09-2008, 11:25 PM
I wouldn't mind seeing that happen myself.

arnisador
08-17-2008, 06:51 PM
Smart cheats death, leads U.S. to saber silver (http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news?slug=reu-fencingsmartdc&prov=reuters&type=lgns)



Keeth Smart beat back a rare blood disease that nearly killed him four months ago then inspired the U.S. men’s saber team to an unexpected silver medal at the Olympics on Sunday.