{mosimage}“This was the best weekend of my life!”
US Women’s Sabre fencer Mariel Zagunis now has her ticket punched for Athens! Zagunis capped off a strong World Cup win with the announcement by the US Fencing Association that she had been awarded a bid to compete in the Athens Olympic Games.
At the Coupe du Monde in Tauberbischofsheim, Germany this weekend, Zagunis defeated world #5 Anne-Lise Touya of France 15-13. All 3 US Olympic fencers placed in the top 20.
Zagunis is now ranked #6 in the world in Women’s Sabre; all 3 US fencers are in the top 10. (Sada Jacobson: 1st, Emily Jacobson: 8th).
Fencing.Net originally reported that there was some speculation that Mariel Zagunis could qualify for the Olympics if one of the African nations chose not to send an athlete. The Nigerian National Olympic Committee (NOC) refused the spot earned for their originally qualified athlete (ESIMAJE of NGR). Tunisian athlete Sondès Smandi may receive a bid from her NOC (National Olympic Committee.)
Upon returning home from Germany, Mariel Zagunis heard the news from Coach Ed Korfanty’s wife. “This was the best weekend of my life!” said Zagunis when reached for comment.
Zagunis will now be the 3rd US Women’s Sabre fencer at the Athens Olympic Games, giving the US a much better chance at a medal. The United States and France are the only countries with 3 athletes qualified in Women’s Sabre.
Results from the Tauberbischofsheim World Cup
Quarter finals:
Svetlana Kormilitsyna (Russia) def. Orsolya Nagy (Hungary) 15-14
Anne Lise Touya (France) def. Cecile Argiolas (France) 15: 13
Gioia Marzocca (Italy) def. Natalia Makeeva (Russia) 15-14
Mariel Zagunis (USA) def. Sophia Velikaia (Russia) 15: 14
Semi-finals:
Anne Lise Touya def. Svetlana Kormilitsyna 15-10
Mariel Zagunis def. Gioia Marzocca 15-14
Finals:
Mariel Zagunis def. Anne Lise Touya 15-13
Final Placements:
| Pl | Last Name | First Name | Nation | |
| 1 | ZAGUNIS | Mariel | USA | |
| 2 | TOUYA | Anne-Lise | FRA | |
| 3 | KORMILITSYNA | Svetlana | RUS | |
| 3 | MARZOCCA | Gioia | ITA | |
| 5 | ARGIOLAS | Cecile | FRA | |
| 6 | VELIKAIA | Sophia | RUS | |
| 7 | NAGY | Orsolya | HUN | |
| 8 | MAKEEVA | Natalia | RUS | |
| 9 | JACOBSON | Sada | USA | |
| 10 | SOCHA | Aleksandra | POL | |
| 11 | PERRUS | Leonore | FRA | |
| 12 | KÖNIG | Susanne | GER | |
| 13 | JEMAYEVA | Elena | AZE | |
| 14 | GHEORGHITOAIA | Catalina | ROM | |
| 15 | FEDORKINA | Ekatarina | RUS | |
| 16 | BAZHENOVA | Irina | RUS | |
| 17 | NETCHAEVA | Elena | RUS | |
| 18 | TAN | Xue | CHN | |
| 19 | JACOBSON | Emily | USA | |
| 20 | BENAD | Sandra | GER | |
| 21 | JOZWIAK | Bogna | POL | |
| 22 | EL GUINDOU | Maha | FRA | |
| 23 | KLEMM | Sibylle | GER | |
| 24 | MAIER | Diana | GER | |
| 25 | BYRNE | Siobhan | IRL | |
| 26 | ZHANG | Ying | CHN | |
| 27 | JOUKOVA | Margarita | RUS | |
| 28 | BIANCO | Ilaria | ITA | |
| 29 | WIECKOWSKA | Irena | POL | |
| 30 | PRESSMAR | Julia | GER | |
| 31 | BUJDOSO | Alexandra | HUN | |
| 32 | BIESINGER | Tamara | GER | |
| 33 | HÄNTZSCH | Doreen | GER | |
| 34 | COSAR | Martha | GER | |
| 35 | THIELTGES | Sabine | GER | |
| 36 | WESOLOWSKA | Anna | POL | |
| 37 | SAUER | Eve | GER | |
| 38 | CARRIER | Magali | FRA | |
| 39 | SCHAUB | Anke | GER | |
| 40 | VIGNAUX | Pascale | FRA | |
| 41 | LEE | Shin Mi | KOR | |
| 42 | BENITEZ | Alejandra | VEN | |
| 43 | BERENGIER | Julie | FRA | |
| 44 | KUBISSA | Stefanie | GER | |
| 45 | HISAGAE | Madoka | JPN | |
| 46 | BLOCK | Reija | GER | |
| 47 | NAKAMURA | Haruko | JPN | |
| 48 | VERGNE | Carole | FRA | |
| 49 | KOSCIUCHA | Monika | POL | |
| 50 | JANZ | Nicolett | GER | |
| 51 | POUTEIL-NOBLE | Eve | FRA | |
| 52 | JEANNY | Aurelie | FRA | |
| 53 | HIRZMANN | Davina | GER | |
| 54 | BERTHIER | Anne-Laure | FRA | |
| 55 | KARPINSKA | Katarzyna | POL | |
| 56 | POTSCHKA | Susanne | GER | |
| 57 | BUDNA | Karolina | POL | |
| 58 | GOTTHARDT | Mirjam | GER | |
| 59 | FUTADA | Noriko | JPN | |
| 60 | DORON | Julie | FRA | |
| 61 | GUTERMUTH | Martina | GER | |
| 62 | WOSCHEK | Janina | GER | |
| 63 | HERMANN | Wiebke | GER | |
| 64 | JAJESNIAK | Monika | POL | |
| 65 | ZERFASS | Amelie | GER | |
| 66 | SUGIYAMA | Fumino | JPN | |
| 67 | MICHALKE | Friederike | GER | |
| 68 | GEBERT | Marline | GER | |
| 69 | TSCHOMAKOV | Margarita | GER | |
| 70 | KLÖHN | Gunilla | GER | |
| 70 | GROE | Manuela | GER | |
| 72 | VAN VUURE | Bonnie | NED | |
| 72 | MUNZ | Lisa | GER | |
| 74 | BROER VAN DIJK | Laurien | NED | |
| 75 | MUNZ | Eva | GER |
DE Table of 64
| 1 | JACOBSON Sada | USA | |||
| JACOBSON Sada | |||||
| 64 | JAJESNIAK Monika | POL | 15/5 | ||
| JACOBSON Sada | |||||
| 33 | SCHAUB Anke | GER | 15/7 | ||
| BIANCO Ilaria | |||||
| 32 | BIANCO Ilaria | ITA | 15/6 | ||
| NAGY Orsolya | |||||
| 17 | NAGY Orsolya | HUN | 15/14 | ||
| NAGY Orsolya | |||||
| 48 | VERGNE Carole | FRA | 15/9 | ||
| NAGY Orsolya | |||||
| 49 | KOSCIUCHA Monika | POL | 15/14 | ||
| JOZWIAK Bogna | |||||
| 16 | JOZWIAK Bogna | POL | 15/10 | ||
| 9 | KÖNIG Susanne | GER | |||
| KÖNIG Susanne | |||||
| 56 | POTSCHKA Susanne | GER | 15/8 | ||
| KÖNIG Susanne | |||||
| 41 | BERENGIER Julie | FRA | 15/13 | ||
| BYRNE Siobhan | |||||
| 24 | BYRNE Siobhan | IRL | 15/13 | ||
| KORMILITSYNA Svetlana | |||||
| 25 | KORMILITSYNA Svetlana | RUS | 15/9 | ||
| KORMILITSYNA Svetlana | |||||
| 40 | BENITEZ Alejandra | VEN | 15/11 | ||
| KORMILITSYNA Svetlana | |||||
| 57 | BUDNA Karolina | POL | 15/9 | ||
| JACOBSON Emily | |||||
| 8 | JACOBSON Emily | USA | 15/14 | ||
| 5 | TOUYA Anne-Lise | FRA | |||
| TOUYA Anne-Lise | |||||
| 60 | DORON Julie | FRA | 15/7 | ||
| TOUYA Anne-Lise | |||||
| 37 | WIECKOWSKA Irena | POL | 15/11 | ||
| WIECKOWSKA Irena | |||||
| 28 | WESOLOWSKA Anna | POL | 15/8 | ||
| TOUYA Anne-Lise | |||||
| 21 | KLEMM Sibylle | GER | 15/7 | ||
| KLEMM Sibylle | |||||
| 44 | HISAGAE Madoka | JPN | 15/14 | ||
| JEMAYEVA Elena | |||||
| 53 | HIRZMANN Davina | GER | 15/7 | ||
| JEMAYEVA Elena | |||||
| 12 | JEMAYEVA Elena | AZE | 15/7 | ||
| 13 | ARGIOLAS Cecile | FRA | |||
| ARGIOLAS Cecile | |||||
| 52 | JEANNY Aurelie | FRA | 15/7 | ||
| ARGIOLAS Cecile | |||||
| 45 | BIESINGER Tamara | GER | 15/6 | ||
| BIESINGER Tamara | |||||
| 20 | HÄNTZSCH Doreen | GER | 15/13 | ||
| ARGIOLAS Cecile | |||||
| 29 | JOUKOVA Margarita | RUS | 15/11 | ||
| JOUKOVA Margarita | |||||
| 36 | VIGNAUX Pascale | FRA | 15/7 | ||
| SOCHA Aleksandra | |||||
| 61 | GUTERMUTH Martina | GER | 15/12 | ||
| SOCHA Aleksandra | |||||
| 4 | SOCHA Aleksandra | POL | 15/12 | ||
| 3 | TAN Xue | CHN | |||
| TAN Xue | |||||
| 62 | WOSCHEK Janina | GER | 15/5 | ||
| MAKEEVA Natalia | |||||
| 35 | MAKEEVA Natalia | RUS | 15/11 | ||
| MAKEEVA Natalia | |||||
| 30 | SAUER Eve | GER | 15/8 | ||
| MAKEEVA Natalia | |||||
| 19 | FEDORKINA Ekatarina | RUS | 15/11 | ||
| FEDORKINA Ekatarina | |||||
| 46 | BLOCK Reija | GER | 15/6 | ||
| FEDORKINA Ekatarina | |||||
| 51 | POUTEIL-NOBLE Eve | FRA | 15/6 | ||
| BENAD Sandra | |||||
| 14 | BENAD Sandra | GER | 15/7 | ||
| 11 | GHEORGHITOAIA Catalina | ROM | |||
| GHEORGHITOAIA Catalina | |||||
| 54 | BERTHIER Anne-Laure | FRA | 15/8 | ||
| GHEORGHITOAIA Catalina | |||||
| 43 | KUBISSA Stefanie | GER | 15/12 | ||
| MAIER Diana | |||||
| 22 | MAIER Diana | GER | 15/11 | ||
| MARZOCCA Gioia | |||||
| 27 | THIELTGES Sabine | GER | 15/6 | ||
| PRESSMAR Julia | |||||
| 38 | PRESSMAR Julia | GER | 15/7 | ||
| MARZOCCA Gioia | |||||
| 59 | FUTADA Noriko | JPN | 15/1 | ||
| MARZOCCA Gioia | |||||
| 6 | MARZOCCA Gioia | ITA | 15/6 | ||
| 7 | PERRUS Leonore | FRA | |||
| PERRUS Leonore | |||||
| 58 | GOTTHARDT Mirjam | GER | 15/5 | ||
| PERRUS Leonore | |||||
| 39 | LEE Shin Mi | KOR | 15/9 | ||
| ZHANG Ying | |||||
| 26 | ZHANG Ying | CHN | 15/11 | ||
| ZAGUNIS Mariel | |||||
| 23 | COSAR Martha | GER | 15/9 | ||
| BUJDOSO Alexandra | |||||
| 42 | BUJDOSO Alexandra | HUN | 15/12 | ||
| ZAGUNIS Mariel | |||||
| 55 | KARPINSKA Katarzyna | POL | 15/7 | ||
| ZAGUNIS Mariel | |||||
| 10 | ZAGUNIS Mariel | USA | 15/9 | ||
| 15 | VELIKAIA Sophia | RUS | |||
| VELIKAIA Sophia | |||||
| 50 | JANZ Nicolett | GER | 15/4 | ||
| VELIKAIA Sophia | |||||
| 47 | NAKAMURA Haruko | JPN | 15/7 | ||
| EL GUINDOU Maha | |||||
| 18 | EL GUINDOU Maha | FRA | 15/8 | ||
| VELIKAIA Sophia | |||||
| 31 | CARRIER Magali | FRA | 15/9 | ||
| BAZHENOVA Irina | |||||
| 34 | BAZHENOVA Irina | RUS | 15/8 | ||
| BAZHENOVA Irina | |||||
| 63 | HERMANN Wiebke | GER | 15/11 | ||
| NETCHAEVA Elena | |||||
| 2 | NETCHAEVA Elena | RUS | 15/8 |