Fencing has been an Olympic sport since the first modern Olympics with the women’s events starting in 1924. The events have expanded from three in the first Olympic games to ten, as there has been since 1996. Five of the events are in men’s fencing, with five in women’s. Four of the events are in the foil category, three in Épée, and three in Sabre. The US has only won 20 medals in fencing at the Olympics, a far smaller number than the 115 of France and the 114 of Italy. The US only has two gold medals, both in women’s individual sabre at the last two Olympic games.
The Team:
This year’s team is made up of 16 athletes, eight men and eight women.
Links are to twitter accounts for the athletes.
USA Fencing
Men:
Seth Kelsey** – Individual Épée
Soren Thompson& – Individual Épée
Miles Chamley-Watson – Individual and Team Foil
Race Imboden – Individual and Team Foil
Alexander Massialas – Individual and Team Foil
Daryl Homer – Individual and Team Sabre
Tim Morehouse* – Individual and Team Sabre
James Williams – Individual and Team Sabre
Women:
Courtney Hurley – Individual and Team Épée
Maya Lawrence – Individual and Team Épée
Susie Scanlan – Individual and Team Épée
Lee Kiefer – Individual and Team Foil
Nzingha Prescod – Individual and Team Foil
Nicole Ross – Individual and Team Foil
Dagmara Wozniak – Individual Sabre
Mariel Zagunis** – Individual Sabre
* – Was on team in 2008
** – Was on team in 2004 & 2008
& – Was on team in 2004
Schedule:
What are the different forms? Foil is a light weapon. In this form the target is the torso. Double touches are not permitted. Épée uses a heavier weapon and allows the whole body to be targeted. Doubles touches are allowed. In sabre you are allowed to score with the side of the weapon and the upper body is the target area. Double touches are not allowed. Fencing is a little hard to pick up at first. The basic point is to hit your opponent and avoid being hit, thereby scoring more points than them. Sabre in particular has become more about hitting first, getting hit 2nd doesn’t really matter.
All the fencing events are knockout style. In team events there are three fencers per team who will face the three fencers on the other team. Scores are summed up and the team with the most points at the end wins. Each fight is limited to three minutes. The first fight ends at three minutes or when a team reaches five points. The second fight ends at three minutes or when a team reaches ten points… and so on until the end.
All Times ET
Saturday July 28th
5:30 AM – Women’s Fencing – Individual Foil – Round of 64
6:50 AM – Women’s Fencing – Individual Foil – Round of 32
9:10 AM – Women’s Fencing – Individual Foil – Round of 16
10:30 AM – Women’s Fencing – Individual Foil – Quarterfinals
1 PM – Women’s Fencing – Individual Foil – Semifinals
2:10 PM – Women’s Fencing – Individual Foil – Bronze Medal Match
2:40 PM – Women’s Fencing – Individual Foil – Gold Medal Match
Sunday July 29th
5:30 AM – Men’s Fencing – Individual Sabre – Round of 64
6:30 AM – Men’s Fencing – Individual Sabre – Round of 32
8:10 AM – Men’s Fencing – Individual Sabre – Round of 16
9:10 AM – Men’s Fencing – Individual Sabre – Quarterfinals
1 PM – Men’s Fencing – Individual Sabre – Semifinals
1:50 PM – Men’s Fencing – Individual Sabre – Bronze Medal Match
2:10 PM – Men’s Fencing – Individual Sabre – Gold Medal Match
Monday July 30th
5:30 AM – Women’s Fencing – Individual Épée – Round of 64
6:50 AM – Women’s Fencing – Individual Épée – Round of 32
9:10 AM – Women’s Fencing – Individual Épée – Round of 16
10:30 AM – Women’s Fencing – Individual Épée – Quarterfinals
1 PM – Women’s Fencing – Individual Épée – Semifinals
2:10 PM – Women’s Fencing – Individual Épée – Bronze Medal Match
2:40 PM – Women’s Fencing – Individual Épée – Gold Medal Match
Tuesday July 31st
5:30 AM – Men’s Fencing – Individual Foil – Round of 64
6:50 AM – Men’s Fencing – Individual Foil – Round of 32
9:10 AM – Men’s Fencing – Individual Foil – Round of 16
10:30 AM – Men’s Fencing – Individual Foil – Quarterfinals
1 PM – Men’s Fencing – Individual Foil – Semifinals
2:10 PM – Men’s Fencing – Individual Foil – Bronze Medal Match
2:40 PM – Men’s Fencing – Individual Foil – Gold Medal Match
Wednesday August 1st
4 AM – Men’s Fencing – Individual Épée – Round of 32
6:15 AM – Men’s Fencing – Individual Épée – Round of 16
7:30 AM – Men’s Fencing – Individual Épée – Quarterfinals
8:10 AM – Women’s Fencing – Individual Sabre – Round of 32
9:45 AM – Women’s Fencing – Individual Sabre – Round of 16
10:40 AM – Women’s Fencing – Individual Sabre – Quarterfinals
12:30 PM – Men’s Fencing – Individual Épée – Semifinals
1:30 PM – Women’s Fencing – Individual Sabre – Semifinals
2:10 PM – Men’s Fencing – Individual Épée – Bronze Medal Match
2:40 PM – Women’s Fencing – Individual Sabre – Bronze Medal Match
3 PM – Men’s Fencing – Individual Épée – Gold Medal Match
3:30 PM – Women’s Fencing – Individual Sabre – Gold Medal Match
Thursday August 2nd
4 AM – Women’s Fencing – Team Foil – Round of 16
5:30 AM – Women’s Fencing – Team Foil – Quarterfinals
7 AM – Women’s Fencing – Team Foil – Semifinals
10 AM – Women’s Fencing – Team Foil – Placement 5-6
10 AM – Women’s Fencing – Team Foil – Placement 7-8
1 PM – Women’s Fencing – Team Foil – Bronze Medal Match
2:15 PM – Women’s Fencing – Team Foil – Gold Medal Match
Friday August 3rd
5:30 AM – Men’s Fencing – Team Sabre – Round of 16
6:30 AM – Men’s Fencing – Team Sabre – Quarterfinals
7:30 AM – Men’s Fencing – Team Sabre – Semifinals
9:30 AM – Men’s Fencing – Team Sabre – Placement 5-6
9:30 AM – Men’s Fencing – Team Sabre – Placement 7-8
1 PM – Men’s Fencing – Team Sabre – Bronze Medal Match
1:45 PM – Men’s Fencing – Team Sabre – Gold Medal Match
Saturday August 4th
4 AM – Women’s Fencing – Team Épée – Round of 16
5:30 AM – Women’s Fencing – Team Épée – Quarterfinals
7 AM – Women’s Fencing – Team Épée – Semifinals
10 AM – Women’s Fencing – Team Épée – Placement 5-6
10 AM – Women’s Fencing – Team Épée – Placement 7-8
1 PM – Women’s Fencing – Team Épée – Bronze Medal Match
2:15 PM – Women’s Fencing – Team Épée – Gold Medal Match
Sunday August 5th
4 AM – Men’s Fencing – Team Foil – Round of 16
5:30 AM – Men’s Fencing – Team Foil – Quarterfinals
7 AM – Men’s Fencing – Team Foil – Semifinals
10 AM – Men’s Fencing – Team Foil – Placement 5-6
10 AM – Men’s Fencing – Team Foil – Placement 7-8
1 PM – Men’s Fencing – Team Foil – Bronze Medal Match
2:15 PM – Men’s Fencing – Team Foil – Gold Medal Match
Past Results:
Men’s fencing has been a challenge for the US. They have only won 13 medals, five silvers and eight bronze. They were able to win the team sabre silver in Beijing, that team sends one competitor, Tim Morehouse, back to London this year. In 2004 they were in the bronze medal match for both team foil and team sabre, but lost both to the Russians.
Seth Kelsey lost in the individual épée Round of 32 in Beijing, finishing 17th. Soren Thompson was a quarterfinalist in both team and individual épée in Athens. Unfortunately team épée is not an event in this Olympics, so the US will have to hope that these two can make a run at an individual medal. Tim Morehouse lost in the Round of 32 in Beijing in individual sabre, but his silver medal in team sabre should give him confidence heading into London.
The US has really come on strong in women’s fencing, winning five medals in Beijing, including a sweep of the medals in individual sabre, and two in Athens. That is much better than the zero they had before that. Mariel Zagnuis has been a major part of that, winning the last two golds in individual sabre and the team bronze. Unfortunately team sabre is not a part of London 2012, so she’ll only have one chance at a medal this year in the individual competition.
The US looks like a strong candidate to grab at least a medal or two from London. Hopefully the US can even exceed those numbers and continue the strong momentum from taking home six medals from Beijing.