BEIJING (AFP) - When Frenchman Christian Bauer saw the Chinese fencing team he was hired to train for the Olympics the first thing he did was to send them all home.
"They were washed out through over-training and every one of them was carrying an injury," he said. "So I gave them a vacation.
Mariel Zagunis, fresh off of competing in the US National Championships, caught us up with her season and what's next for the US team between now and the Olympic Games.
For those that think the US fencers can sit and rest up now that they're in, think again because there's still the 2nd half of the fencing season and it all counts towards seeding into the Olympic Games.
Ireland's Siobhan Byrne qualified for the 2008 Beijing Olympics in women's sabre by winning the silver medal at the European qualifying tournament in Istanbul.
Nine countries were competing for the two European zonal slots available; Romania, Greece, Great Britain, Ireland, Spain, Iceland, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, and host Turkey.
PORTLAND, OR - 2004 Gold Medalist Mariel Zagunis and Olympic Veteran Keeth Smart will lead the US Women's and Men's Sabre teams at the 2008 Olympic Games.
The United States qualified three teams for Olympic competition - Women's Sabre, Men's Sabre, and Women's Foil.
Mariel Zagunis, fresh off of competing in the US National Championships, caught us up with her season and what's next for the US team between now and the Olympic Games..jpg)
