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ATHENS, Greece -- For the first time in a century, the United States won a gold medal in Olympic fencing, and it added a bronze for good measure.
Mariel Zagunis beat Tan Xue of China 15-9 in the saber final, and American Sada Jacobson was third, beating Catalina Gheorghitoaia of Romania 15-7.
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| Mariel Zagunis gets a hero's exit after winning the first women's fencing medal ever.(AP) |
The United States had never won a medal in women's fencing. The last American medal in the sport was in Los Angeles in 1984, when Peter Westbrook won the bronze in men's saber.
Zagunis, of Beaverton, Ore., controlled the final, charging in on the opening point to score the first touch. Throughout the bout she took the initiative, scoring repeatedly on direct attacks. She also had enough versatility to defend herself on Tan's charges, and score on the counter-attack.
Tan beat Jacobson 15-12 in one semifinal to reach the gold-medal match.
In the quarterfinals, Jacobson, of suburban Atlanta, beat Leonore Perrus of France 15-11. Perrus had knocked out Sada's sister, Emily, 15-13 in the round of 16, preventing the sisters from playing each other.
"I had really thought she was going to do it. I had really prepared myself to fence her," Sada Jacobson said. "I'm sorry she didn't win her bout, but when it comes down to it, it was only going to be one of us, anyway."
In men's epee competition, Soren Thompson of San Diego upset No. 2 seed Alfredo Rota of Italy to reach the quarterfinals, where he lost to Russia's Pavel Kolobkov, the 2000 gold medalist.
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| Sada Jacobson advances to the medal round, beating the French woman that knocks out her sister Tuesday.(AP) |
"I don't like anyone beating up on my little sister," she said with a smile.
Women's saber is the newest of fencing's six disciplines and is making its first appearance in the Olympics. The first world championship in women's saber was held in 1999.
