The highly favored US women's sabre team fell in their semi-final match to the Ukraine 45-39 during the morning fencing session. The US will face France for the bronze medal match in the first match of the evening.
Beijing’s Games III: The Psychology of the Team Game
The team event is the wild card in fencing. By history of the sport and temperament of the athletes, fencing is an individual sport. But the team event has taken on increasing importance in recent years. Team competition is critical to the success of the national teams. It is the only realistic way to put 3 fencers in the Olympic Games, and create 4 chances to win a medal.
Britta Heidemann added to Germany's medal count today as she joined fellow fencer Benjamin Kleibrink with a gold medal for fencing. Heidemann won the women's epee event by defeating #2 seed Ana Maria Branza (ROU) 15-11.
Benjamin Kleibrink entered the semi finals carrying the hopes of Germany for the gold medal. Earlier in the day the gold medal favorite and 3 time world champion Peter Joppich was eliminated by Kleibrink's foe, Japan's Yuki Ota. Kleibrink exited as the gold medal winner after defeating Ota 15-9 in the 2008 Olympic Men's Foil event.
During a tightly contested bout in the women's epee event at the 2008 Olympic Games, French coach Jean Francois Di Martino was given a black card and excluded from the fencing field of play for the remainder of the competition.
Benjamin Kleibrink entered the semi finals carrying the hopes of Germany for the gold medal. Earlier in the day the gold medal favorite and 3 time world champion Peter Joppich was eliminated by Kleibrink's foe, Japan's Yuki Ota. Kleibrink exited as the gold medal winner after defeating Ota 15-9 in the 2008 Olympic Men's Foil event. 
