The US Men’s Foil team have clinched Olympic team qualification with a ninth place finish in Shanghai last weekend! The US men are 6th in the Olympic team standings (In order: ITA, GER, CHN, FRA, RUS, USA, KOR, EGY).
In other news, Kamara James was 16th in a Women’s Epee cup in Luxembourg and is ahead of other fencers in the Americas in standings for Olympic qualification. She is ahead of US fencers Stephanie Eim by 6 points and Kelley Hurley by 14 points. Cuban fencer Eimey Chivas Gomez is ahead of James by 1 point. One more World Cup remains in the race to qualify for the Games, at the end of March in Portugal.
In addition, as a result of her Junior World Cup results over this season, James also reached no. 1 in the Junior World Cup standings. She will be a strong medal contender at the Junior World Championships, coming up in the first week of April in Bulgaria. James won a bronze at that event last year.
In a Gran Prix Women’s Foil cup in Shanghai, Erinn Smart finished 21st, Felicia Zimmermann 30th, and Iris Zimmermann, 37th. Iris Zimmermann remains at the top of the list of fencers in the Americas zone, with Smart 4 points behind. Three World Cups remain in the qualification period.
In a Gran Prix Men’s Epee competition in Berne, Switzerland, Soren Thompson earned 15th place, Seth Kelsey was 19th and Cody Mattern was 30th. The Men’s Epee team still maintains a chance to qualify as a team: at 11th in the World Cup standings, they are solidly the top team in the zone of the Americas. Two more team competitions, in France this coming weekend and then Canada, remains in the qualification period.