Mariel Zagunis leads the US women and Daryl Homer earns top honors for the US men’s sabre fencers.
Mariel Zagunis held seed and fenced her way to the final 4 in the 2010 Women’s Sabre World Championships. She is joined by Russian Sophia Velikaia and Ukrainians Olga Kharlan and Olena Khomrova.
Zagunis is the lone remaining American fencer in today’s competition and will face off against Khomrova in the semi-finals. In facing Khomrova, she’ll have the chance to avenge earlier US losses as the Ukrainian dispatched Dagmara Wozniak in the round of 32 and Ibtihaj Muhammad 15-14 in the round of 16.
Daria Schneider lost in the first round to 7th place finisher Azza Besbes (TUN). The Tunisian Besbes made her way to the top-8 where she was narrowly defeated 15-14 by Khomrova. Besbes almost pulled off an upset of Olympic Bronze Medalist Rebecca Ward during the 2008 Olympics.
Zagunis is 5-0 lifetime against Khomrova and holds winning records against Kharlan (5-2) and Velikaia (2-1) as well.
The men’s semi-finals pit Cosmin Hanceanu (ROM) v. Woo Young Won (KOR) and Veniamin Reshetnikov (RUS) v. Nicolas Limbach (GER). Hanceanu and Woo were the 40th and 20th seeds coming into today’s fencing.
Daryl Homer led the US effort with a 12th place finish, losing in the round of 16 to #2 seed Nicolas Limbach (GER). Earlier in the day Homer had defeated home-town favorites Bolande Apithy (FRA), and Nicolas Lopez (FRA) before falling to Limbach. Tim Morehouse, James Williams, and Ben Igoe each fell in the round of 64.
Morehouse lost 15-14 to Dmitri Lapkes (BLR), Williams to Woo Young Won (KOR), and Igoe to Limbach.
The men’s event was fraught with upsets as only 3 of the top 8 seeds made the quarter-finals. Aldo Montano was reportedly nursing an ankle injury and lost 15-14 in the first round against 57th seed Tiberiu Dolniceanu. Other upsets included Lapkes over Rares Dumitrescu (ROM) and Nikolasz Iliasz (HUN) over Bon Gil Gu (KOR) in the round of 32. Yakimenko (the 16th seed) knocked off #1 seed Eun Seok Oh (KOR) in the 16.
Final US Placements: Men’s Sabre
12. Daryl Homer
42. Tim Morehouse
48. James Williams
63. Ben Igoe
US Placements: Women’s Sabre
14. Ibtihaj Muhammad
19. Dagmara Wozniak
44. Daria Schneider
