US World Cup Report March 5, 2004

The US men finish the qualification period ranked 7th among the teams to qualify: Russia, Hungary, France, the Ukraine, Italy, China, the U.S., and Egypt. Several excellent teams did not qualify, including Germany, Romania, Poland and Spain. Two more team cups remain, during which the men may alter their seeding going into the Games.

The individuals who will man the US squad will be named at the Division I National Championships in Atlanta, Ga., April 23-26. Three members and one alternate will be named.

A grand group of US fencers also turned in stellar results last weekend in senior World Cup competition, giving many a great leg up in their efforts to qualify for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

Kamara James earned a bronze medal at the senior “A” cup in Katowice, Poland. She defeated Sonja Tol of the Netherlands 15-9 to reach the final eight, and then Hungarian Julia Ravesz 13-10 to reach the medal round. There, she was defeated by Julija Vansovica of Latvia by a whisker, 12-11. Vansovica went on to win the gold.

James is now the top-ranked U.S. women’s epee fencer with 34 points with two more women’s epee cups remaining in the Olympic qualification calendar. Ahead of James in the zone of the Americas is Cuban fencer Eimey Chivas Gomez, with 39 points.

Iris Zimmermann placed 7th at the senior “A” cup in Seoul, South Korea. She defeated Simone Bauer of Germany to reach the top 16 and then Adeline Wuilleme of France, currently ranked 6th in the world, to reach the top 8.

She now holds 45 points – only a few points ahead of Erinn Smart, with 38. All five U.S. women’s foil fencers are well ahead of their closest competition in the zone. Four more competitions remaining the Olympic qualification period, and spots are still up for grabs.

David Rosenberg earned 7th place at a men’s epee “A” cup in Rickmansworth, Great Britain Feb 29.

Finally, the sisters Jacobson both turned in medal performances at a critical World Cup in Budapest, Hungary on Feb. 28. Emily Jacobson won the silver, defeating sister Sada in the semifinals 15-8 before losing the gold medal bout to Anne-Lisa Touya of France 15-11.

With the silver result, Emily Jacobson is now ranked #7 in the world; Sada Jacobson is still #1. Mariel Zagunis is now ranked #15 with cups in Moscow and Lamezia Terme still remaining on the path to the Games. (Zagunis finished 10th in Budapest, falling to Touya in the round of 16, 15-13.)

Senior “A” Women’s Epee, Katowice, POL, Feb 28-29, 2004

80 competitors

1 VANSOVICA Julija LAT
2 KIM Hee-Jeong KOR
3 CASCIOLI Cristiana ITA
3 JAMES Kamara (19, Jamaica, N.Y./Westbrook Foundation/Princeton ’06)
5 CONRAD Natalia UKR
6 RAVESZ Julia HUN
7 CISZEWSKA-ANDRZEJEWSKA Barbara POL
8 KO Jung Nam KOR
28 EIM Stephanie (26, New York, N.Y./Fencers Club)
29 HURLEY Kelly (15, Medina, Texas/USA Modern Pentathlon)
38 SPILMAN Elisabeth (34, Los Angeles, Calif./Beverly Hills F.C.)
47 MILLER Margo (53, Los Angeles, Calif.)
52 LESZKO Julia (34, Portland, Ore./NorthWest Fencing Center)

2004 Trophee de SK Telecom Seoul
Senior “A” Women’s Foil, 28-29 Feb 2004
82 competitors

1. VEZZALI Valentina ITA
2. ZHANG Lei CHN
3T. MENG Jie CHN
3T. MOHAMED Aida HUN
5. CARLESCU BADEA Laura ROM
6. VARGA Gabriella HUN
7. ZIMMERMANN Iris (23, Rush, N.Y./Fencers Club/Stanford ’06)
8. XIAO Aihua CHN
35 SMART Erinn (24, New York, N.Y./Westbrook Foundation)
36 ZIMMERMANN Felicia (28, Rush, N.Y./Rochester Fencing Center)
42 JENNINGS Susan (26, New York, N.Y./Fencers Club)

Women’s Foil Team, Seoul, KOR, 1 March 2004
10 teams

1. Poland
2. Russia
3. Romania
4. Italy
10 USA

– JENNINGS Susan (26, New York, N.Y./Fencers Club)
– SMART Erinn (24, New York, N.Y./Westbrook Found.)
– ZIMMERMANN Iris (23, New York N.Y./Fencers Club)
– ZIMMERMANN Felicia (28, Rush, N.Y./Rochester F.C.)

Men’s Saber Team, Eislingen, GER, 21 Feb 2004
13 teams

1. Italy
2. Germany
3. Hungary
4. Poland
12 USA
– Ivan Lee (22, Brooklyn, N.Y./Westbrook Foundation)
– Tim Morehouse (24, Bronx, N.Y./Fencers Club)
– Jason Rogers (20, Los Angeles, Calif./Salle Gascon/Ohio State Univ. ’05)
– Keeth Smart (25, Brooklyn, N.Y./Westbrook Foundation)

Epée Club Trophy 2004
Senior “A” Men’s Epee, London, GBR, Feb 28-29, 2004
108 competitors

1 MARTINELLI Francesco ITA
2 ROBATSCH Marcus AUT
3 MOERCH Claus NOR
3 ROTA Alfredo ITA
5 KARDOLUS Arwin NED
6 FERNANDEZ Silvio VEN
7 ROSENBERG David (31, New York, N.Y./N.Y.A.C.)
8 SWITAK Michael AUT

24 HANSEN Eric (28, San Bruno, Calif./Golden Gate Fenc. Ctr.)
43 TAUSIG Justin (33, resides Paris, France/Racing Club de France)
47 FELDSCHUH Michael (34, New York, N.Y./N.Y.A.C.)