Attack* of the women 's saber swordsman.

You may or may not hold heard that the first Olympic gold palm presented to an American was inwomen 's saber - and the U.S. brushed the event, picking upward the Ag and bronze likewise. While the U.S. 's deficiency of a long history of fencing and pedigree in most of the arms intends they make n't oft postulate for a palm, america were goodly before of the curve preparing immature women to fence saber, ensuing in entire laterality in these early eld of international women 's saber.

Mariel Zagunis, again demoing she Holds at her best when the cameras get on her, trounce her mate, figure one ranked Sada Jacobson. Jacobson was widely anticipated to win the gold when women 's saber firstly got an Olympic event in Athinai, but she losther semi-final turn to Suntan Xue of Cathay. Zagunis snapped the first women 's saber gold ever awardedwithout confronting her senior status mate in the concluding legs of the competition. I can simply surmise that Sada was more a trifle disgruntled with the bronze, and some of my ain fencing friends were converted that holded she fenced Mariel, she would hold vanquished her.

Little maked we cognise that that very scenario would play out at this games... in the gold medal turn, no less... and that Mariel would set a thorough whipping on her mate ( last mark 15-8, but honestly, it could hold been even more lopsided ). This is now a true contention between two American swordsman postulate for the top place on the creation phase... something I 've certainly ne'er seen before. Throw into the premix 18-year-old fencing phenom Becca Ward, and you 've got an American contingent that rules the style the Italians reign women 's foil ( they maked not brush this yr, incidentally, but Valentina Vezzali, belike the best women 's foil swordsman since women were fencing in those risible looking drawers, won her 3rd consecutive Olympic gold ).

By the bye, here's NBC's story about the Americans sweeping women's sabre

*Attack [ verb/noun ]: Move towards your opposition with aim to hit ( In foil and saber, originating the attackcarries with it the `` right '' to hitone 's opposite. The other swordsman demands to support the onslaught someway togain the right of fashion. )