US Fencers Fall Just Short
After easing through her first three rounds of the women’s individual saber, three-time Olympian Mariel Zagunis advanced to the semifi- nals, where she lost to eventual champion Kim Jiyeon of South Korea, 25-13, on Wednesday (Aug. 1) at ExCel Arena. She then dropped the bronze-medal bout to Olga Kharlan of the Ukraine, 15-10. Mean- while, Dagmara Wozniak won her first two matches to advance to
the quarterfinals, but was halted by Russia’s Sofya Velikaya, 15-13. In men’s individual epee, Seth Kelsey also won three straight matches to advance to the semifinals, where he lost to eventual gold medalist Ruben Limardo Gascon of Venezuela. Competing in his third Olympic Games, Kelsey then lost in the bronze-medal match to South Korea’s Jung Jinsun, 12-11. The fourth-place finish marks the best for a U.S. men’s individual epee fencer at the Games since 1956.
