TEMPLE FENCING2017 TEMPLE INVITATIONAL MEET PROGRAM

MEN'S AND WOMEN'S MEET » FEBRUARY 26, 2017 » 9:30 AM - 5:30 PM

SENIOR DAY

2016-17 Temple Fencing Seniors and Squad Leaders (L to R): Victoria Suber (sabre), Alexandra Keft (epee and overall team captain) and Kristen Kemnitzer (foil).

MEET SCHEDULE

TEMPLE INVITATIONAL REFEREESRalph Bellantoni, Head RefereeOlivia Wynn, Meet Coordinator

Marcus BalogAlex GioiellaPilar Gomez

Tyler JacobsonIvan Lee

Samir MahmoudRyan Matt

David MicahnikAlex Nazarov

Nadia NazarovaKonate PrimusJennie Salmon

Lindsay StapletonFen TamulonisKate Thomas

Kamali ThompsonRon Thornton

Jelena Zeljkovic

Name Year Height Event Hometown High SchoolQuinn Duwelius So. 5-5 Epee Gales Ferry, Conn. LedyardFiona Fong So. 5-4 Epee Warren, N.J. Watchung HillsMalia Hee Fr. 5-7 Sabre Vancouver, Wash. St. Mary’s AcademySafa Ibrahim Jr. 5-8 Epee Bronx, N.Y. Home-schooledAlexandra Keft Sr. 5-7 Epee Las Vegas, Nev. Ed W. ClarkKristen Kemnitzer Sr. 5-5 Foil West Windsor, N.J. West Windsor-PlainsboroKennedy Lovelace Fr. 5-4 Foil Frisco, Texas Spring Creek AcademyAlly Micek So. 5-4 Epee Houston, Texas Lamar/Ohio StateAuset Muhammad So. 5-1 Foil Chicago, Ill. Chicago WaldorfBlessing Olaode So. 5-4 Sabre Maplewood, N.J. ColumbiaKerry Plunkett Fr. 5-11 Sabre West Linn, Ore. West LinnAlexa Prasher Fr. 5-7 Foil Grand Rapids, Mich. City HighJessica Rockford So. 5-9 Sabre Livingston, N.J. LivingstonCamille Simmons Fr. 5-9 Epee Bellaire, Texas School of the WoodsVictoria Suber Sr. 5-2 Sabre Lexington, Mass. Lexington

Head Coach: Nikki Franke (Ed. D. Temple ‘88) – 45th season (Foil Coach)Assistant Coach: Josh Herring (Millersville ‘11) – Fourth season (Sabre Coach)Volunteer Assistant Coach: Margo Szabunia (Penn ’80) – Second season (Epee Coach)Director of Operations: Erica Szpynda (Widener ’14) – Second season

#7 TEMPLE OWLS (30-8)

Day Date Meet ................................................................................................................................ Site / Result Sat. Oct. 29 Temple Open ............................................................................................................ Liacouras CenterSat. Nov. 5 Elite Invitational (Cornell, ND, NJIT, Columbia, JHU, Yale) .........................................Philadelphia, Pa. (Penn)Sat. Nov. 19 Penn State Open .......................................................................................................... State College, Pa. / 4-2Sun. Dec. 4 Sacred Heart Invitational (Harvard, NYU, Sacred Heart, Vassar) .................................... Fairfield, Conn. / 4-0Sat. Jan. 15 Penn State Invitational (PSU, UNC, Columbia, Yale, Duke) ......................................... State College, Pa. / 4-2Sat. Jan. 21 Philadelphia Invitational (Penn, Cornell, JHU, Duke, Haverford, NWU) .............Philadelphia, Pa. (Penn) / 2-3Sat.-Sun. Feb. 4-5 Northwestern Duals ............................................................................................................. Evanston, Ill. / 11-1Sat. Feb. 11 FDU Invitational (Stevens, FDU, Johns Hopkins, Brandeis, NJIT) ........................................Teaneck, N.J. / 5-0Fri.-Mon. Feb. 17-20 Junior Olympics ......................................................................................................................Kansas City, Mo.Sat. Feb. 26 Temple Invitational (PSU, St. John’s, Brown, Princeton, Penn) ....................................McGonigle HallSat. March 4 NIWFA Championships ..............................................................................................................West Point, N.Y.Sat. March 11 NCAA Regional Championships ...................................................................................................... Easton, Pa.Sat.-Sun. March 23-26 NCAA Championships ............................................................................................................Indianapolis, Ind.

2016-17 TEMPLE FENCING SCHEDULE/RESULTS

2017 SENIOR DAY

Alex KeftThe overall team captain this season as well as the epee squad leader, Alex has been one of the team's strongest performers since arriving at Temple in 2013. Heading into Saturday's meet, Alex has a career record of 137-94 and is 26-20 so far this season. She has been a finalist and placed in the top 10 in each year of her career at the NCAA Regional meet, recording her highest-ever finish of seventh place as a junior in 2016. She was also named to the 2016 NIWFA Second Team after placing fourth in epee for the Owls. Alex is a kinesiology major with a concentration in pre-health professions, and has been named to Temple's Athletic Director's Honor Roll in each of her three years so far for having a GPA of 3.0 or above.

Kristen KemnitzerThis year's foil squad leader, Kristen has shown a tremendous amount of dedication not only to Temple fencing, but to the athletic department as a whole in her time with the Owls. Active in the Student-Athlete Advisory Council, Kristen was chosen last summer as one of three Owls to represent Temple at the NCAA Career in Sports Forum. Heading into Saturday's meet, Kristen has an overall record of 114-71, and has already recorded 40 wins this season. Kristen won key bouts for Temple to seal victories over both Northwestern and North Carolina at this year's Northwestern Duals, and placed 11th in foil at the 2016 Temple Open. A sport and recreation management major, Kristen has achieved a GPA of 3.5 or above for the past two years and has been named to Temple's President's Honor Roll.

Victoria SuberThis year's sabre squad leader, Victoria heads into Saturday's meet with an overall record of 123-70 and a season mark of 28-19. She has been a consis-tent performer throughout her time at Temple, fencing in an impressive number of bouts. She recently finished 9-1 for the Owls in a 5-0 day at the FDU Invitational, and went 7-2 on the second day of the Northwestern Duals in early February. As a sophomore, Victoria earned a spot as a finalist at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic/South Regional, and placed 12th overall. A civil engineering major, Victoria has been named to Temple's Athletic Director's Honor Roll in each year of her career for posting a GPA of 3.0 or above.

Name Year Event Hometown High SchoolAlexander Catoya Jr. Sabre Rutherford, N.J. Bergen County Acad. – AASTRyan Connor Jr. Epee Lincoln, R.I. LincolnGian Ignacio Jr. Sabre Los Angeles, Calif. The Buckley SchoolSamuel Koch Jr. Epee San Francisco, Calif. Bay School of San Fran.David Liu So. Sabre Tarrytown, N.Y. International School of BeijingUmar Masood So. Foil Pittsford, N.Y. Pittsford SutherlandJohn Mayer Fr. Foil North Reading, Mass. Phillips Academy AndoverEduard Munoz-Sune Fr. Foil Barcelona, Spain Choate Rosemary HallJohn Olorin Jr. Foil Providence, R.I. LaSalle AcademyAlex Palabrica Sr. Sabre Los Angeles, Calif. LoyolaJulius Reiner So. Epee Chicago, Ill. Latin School of ChicagoJames Yoon Sr. Epee Austin, Texas Westwood

Head Coach: Atilio Tass (Hungarian Sport University ’88) - 18th seasonAssistant Coach: Alex Ripa (Massachusetts College of Art ’95) - Third season

BROWN BEARS (M)

Name Year Event Hometown High SchoolClarissa Allen Jr. Foil Newtown, Pa. Council Rock NorthEbba Brunnstrom So. Foil London, England St. Paul’s Girls’ SchoolRoxane Dumontheil Fr. Sabre Paris, France American Int’l School of ViennaSabrina Edelman Fr. Sabre New York, N.Y. Friends SeminarySigne Ferguson Jr. Epee Wilmington, Del. The Dwight SchoolMika Gross Sr. Epee Newton, Mass. Newton SouthClaudia Jiang So. Sabre Basking Ridge, N.J. The Pingry SchoolPhoebe McAuliffe Sr. Epee Setauket, N.Y. Ward MelvilleJazmin Piche So. Foil Los Angeles, Calif. Harvard-Westlake SchoolNicolaia Rips Fr. Sabre New York, N.Y. La GuardiaClara Tondato Da Ruos Sr. Sabre Milan, Italy International School of MilanSophie Ulene Fr. Epee Scarsdale, N.Y. Scarsdale

Head Coach: Atilio Tass (Hungarian Sport University ’88) - 18th seasonAssistant Coach: Alex Ripa (Massachusetts College of Art ’95) - Third season

BROWN BEARS (W)

Name Event Year Hometown High SchoolAaron Ahn Foil So. Los Angeles, Calif. New Covenant AcademyAlexandre Amice Foil Fr. St. Louis, Mo. Saint Louis Priory SchoolPierre Aymerich Foil Jr. Saint Germain-en-Laye Lycee International in Saint Germain en LayeIsaac Buchwald Sabre Sr. Redwood City, Calif. Summit Preparatory Charter High SchoolRaymond Chen Foil So. Dallas, Texas St. Mark's School of TexasAdam Elkassas Foil Sr. DuBois, Pa. DuBois AreaZsombor Garzo Epee Jr. Budapest Veres Peter GimnaziumAdam Green Sabre Fr. Chevy Chase, Md. Bethesda-Chevy Chase High SchoolJulian Merchant Sabre So. New Rochelle, N.Y. New RochelleConnor Mills Sabre Fr. Medford, N.J. St. Augustine's PrepJake Raynis Epee Jr. Chatsworth, Calif. Harvard-WestlakeFaran Savitz Foil So. Greenwich, Conn. GreenwichWillie Upbin Foil Fr. Brooklyn, N.Y. John Vaiani Foil Jr. Wall, N.J. Christian Brothers AcademyRaphael Van Hoffelen Sabre So. Vallauris Centre International de ValbonneAndrew Wang So. Justin Yoo Epee So. Los Angeles, Calif. Harvard-Westlake

Head Coach: Andy MaAssistant Coaches: Slava Danilov, ADi Nott, Randall LeMaster

#5 PENN QUAKERS (M)

Name Event Year Hometown Previous SchoolDanielle Ferdon Foil Fr. San Francisco, Calif. George WashingtonShriya Joshi Sabre Sr. Cherry Hill, N.J. Cherry Hill EastKathryn Khaw Sabre So. Plainsboro, N.J. West Windsor-PlainsboroSabrina Kim Epee So. Dix Hills, N.Y. Half Hollow Hills WestDana Kong Sabre Sr. Princeton, N.J. West Windsor-PlainsboroKelli Liu Sabre Sr. Pasadena, Calif. Polytechnic SchoolAshley Marcus Foil Jr. Miami, Fla. University School of NSUSara Papp Sabre Fr. Lexington, Mass. Naomi Popkin Foil So. Ridgewood, N.J. Dwight-Englewood SchoolCaroline Sands Epee Jr. The Woodlands, Texas The John Cooper SchoolCassidy Seidl Foil Sr. Redmond, Wash. EmersonKatherine Sizov Epee So. Alexandria, Va. Thomas Jefferson HS for Science & TechnologyInbar Tivon Foil Fr. Fair Lawn, N.J. Fair LawnAlejandra Trumble Epee Sr. Cambridge, Mass. Cambridge Rindge and Latin SchoolArabella Uhry Sabre Jr. New York, N.Y. Fieldston SchoolSimone Unwalla Foil So. Great Falls, Va. LangleyNicole Vaiani Foil Fr. Wall, N.J. Ranney SchoolStephanie Wolf Epee Jr. Newton, Mass. Dana HallVictoria Zhang Sabre Fr. Carmichael, Calif. Mira Loma

Head Coach: Andy MaAssistant Coaches: Slava Danilov, ADi Nott, Randall LeMaster

#4 PENN QUAKERS (W)

Name Event Yr. HometownAlejandro Andrade Saber Jr. Quito, EcuadorPatrick August Epee Sr. Las Vegas, Nev.Stephen Barnett Foil Jr. Clinton, Conn.Howie Chan Foil Sr. Walnut, Calif.Joshua Cole Epee So. Chappaqua, N.Y.Brad Devito Saber So. Ridgefield, Conn.Marcel Dolegiewicz Saber So. Park Ridge, Ill.Julian Fevry Foil So. St. Albans, N.Y.Alfred Galeno Epee Jr. Queens, N.Y.Andrew Grass Foil Fr. Burke, Va.Nicolas Graziano Foil Sr. Brooklyn, N.Y.Ian Gregory Epee Jr. State College, Pa.Ethan Gumagay Foil So. Vienna, Va.Mohamed Hassan Foil Fr. Saint Louis, Mo.Stephen Jackson Foil Fr. Stony Brook N.Y.Eduardo Lara Saber Jr. Queretaro, MexicoMatthew Lewicki Saber So. Oakland, N.J.Jarrett Lewis Saber Jr. Montclair, N.J.Andrew Mackiewicz Saber Jr. Westwood, Mass.Matthew Mansoor Epee Fr. Cambridge, Mass.Karol Metryka Saber So. Linden, N.J.Andrey Ostatnigrosh Foil Fr. Fresno, Calif.Anton Piskovatskov Epee So. Houston, TexasDylan Pyne Foil So. Princeton, N.J.Clinton Rodell Epee Fr. Annadale, Va.Felipe Rosario Foil Fr. Maplewood, N.J.Conor Shepard Epee Sr. Colleyville, TexasLars Swanson Epee Sr. Mendham, N.J.Oskar Tang Epee Sr. Gothenburg, SwedenGavin Turner Saber So. Rehoboth, Mass.Charles Wells Foil So. Melville, N.Y.

Head Coach: Wieslaw 'Wes' Glon Assistant Coaches: Johanna Hall, Alexei Sintchinov, George Abashidze

#3 PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS (M)

Name Event Yr. HometownHanan Adnan Saber So. Singapore, SingaporeKaren Chang Saber Jr. Hong KongKathryn Charpin Saber Jr. Setauket, N.Y.Najiyyah Clark Foil Jr. Maplewood, N.J.Elana Dickman Foil Sr. Denville, N.J.Christine Fanning Foil Sr. Wheeling, W.Va.Tyanne Fong Foil Fr. Ampang, MalaysiaGina Gavazzi Foil Fr. Warriors Park, Pa.Lia Gavazzi Epee Sr. Warriors Mark, Pa.Alissa Gozali Foil Fr. SingaporeJulia Higson Epee Jr. State College, Pa.Alissa Hofmann Epee So. Cambridge, Mass.Kasey Iverson Foil Jr. Basking Ridge, N.J.Teodora Kakhiani Saber Sr. Tbilisi, GeorgiaAnastasia Kalonji Epee So. Rennes, FranceRachel Kaneshiki Epee Fr. Duncansville, Pa.Jiajing Li Foil Fr. Jiangsu, ChinaMedora McCarthy Epee So. Los Altos Hills, Calif.Erin McLoughlin Saber So. San Jose, Costa RicaJessica O'Neill-Lyublinsky Epee Sr. North Salem, N.Y.DeAna Oliver Saber So. Montclair, N.J.Desree Ortega-Furgeson Foil Sr. Wyoming, Mich.Daniella Ortiz Foil Sr. Bayside, N.Y.Jessie Radanovich Epee Sr. Tollhouse, Calif.Juliette Ribardiere Saber Jr. San Jose, Calif.Jade Rowland Foil Fr. Princeton Junction, N.J.Jacqueline Rozpedowski Saber Sr. Flemington, N.J.Stefania Tomich Foil Fr. Chantilly, Va.Barbara Vanbenthuysen Epee Fr. Spring, TexasNicolette Vigna Epee So. Thornwood, N.Y.Sarah Waller Epee Sr. McKinney, TexasYumin Wang Epee Fr. Monmouth Junction, N.J.Isabelle Woika Epee Fr. State College, Pa.

Head Coach: Wieslaw 'Wes' Glon Assistant Coaches: Johanna Hall, Alexei Sintchinov, George Abashidze

#5 PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS (W)

Name Event Year Hometown High SchoolSamuel Barmann Foil Fr. Barrington, R.I. BarringtonJeffrey Chen Foil Sr. Cupertino, Calif. Monta VistaEdward Chin Sabre Jr. Livingston, N.J. LivingstonThomas Dudey Foil Jr. Bellaire, Texas BellaireAlex House Epee Sr. Upton, Mass. Worcester AcademyWesley Johnson Epee So. Pleasant View, Utah WeberAlex Lam Sabre So. Lake Oswego, Ore. Catlin GabelPeter Pak Sabre Sr. Roslyn, N.Y. RoslynMichael Popovici Epee So. Katy, Texas TaylorRaphael Sitbon-Taylor Foil Fr. Montpellier, France Lycée JoffreArjuna Subramanian Epee So. Silver Spring, Md. Montgomery BlairWesley Yuan Epee Fr. West Windsor, N.J. WW-P South

Head Coach: Zoltan Dudas (Juhasz Gyula '92) - 11th seasonAssistant Coaches: Oleg Stetsiv, Szilvia Gyore Voros

#6 PRINCETON TIGERS (M)

Name Event Year Hometown High SchoolAudrey Abend Epee Sr. New York, N.Y. Brearley SchoolMaia Chamberlain Sabre Fr. Menlo Park, Calif. SequoiaDiana Chin Sabre Jr. Mercer Island, Wash. University PrepTaylor Chin Foil Jr. Cupertino, Calif. Monta VistaIsabella Chung Foil Fr. Greenwich, Conn. Greenwich AcademyRiya Dave Sabre So. Ardsley, N.Y. ArdsleyKatharine Holmes Epee Sr. Washington, D.C. Nat’l Cathedral SchoolAllison Lee Sabre Jr. Upper Saddle River, N.J. Northern HighlandsFarrah Lee-Elabd Epee Fr. San Antonio, Texas Saint Mary’s HallAngela Li Foil Fr. North York, Ont. Havergal CollegeCharlene Liu Epee So. Bridgewater, N.J. Bridgewater-RaritanElizabety Meyers Foil Jr. Scarsdale, N.Y. ScarsdaleCatherine (Kasia) Nixon Epee Fr. Los Angeles, Calif. Notre Dame AcademyKate Northrop Foil So. Bridgewater, N.J. PingrySage Palmedo Sabre So. Portland, Ore. Stanford OnlineAshley Tsue Foil Sr. Overland Park, Kan. Pembroke HillAnna Van Brummen Epee Sr. Houston, Texas Awty Int’l School

Head Coach: Zoltan Dudas (Juhasz Gyula '92) - 11th seasonAssistant Coaches: Oleg Stetsiv, Szilvia Gyore Voros

#1 PRINCETON TIGERS (W)

Name Year Event Hometown High SchoolDeniz Berkay Sr. Sabre Babylon, N.Y. BabylonAlex Cotter Jr. Epee St. Albans, N.Y. Queens High School of TeachingYevgniy Karyuchenko Sr. Epee Kharkiv, Ukraine Private Gymnasium OCHAGLuke Kitagawa Fr. Foil Coopersburg, Pa. Southern LehighCurtis McDowald Jr. Epee Jamaica, N.Y.Shomari Moore Fr. Epee Brooklyn, N.Y. The Master’s SchoolBen Natanzon So. Sabre Manalapan, N.J. SciCore AcademyAndras Nemeth Jr. Foil Budapest, Hungary Madach Imre GimnaziumCooper Schumacher Sr. Epee Pompton Lakes, N.J. Pompton LakesJayson Shu Jr. Foil Fresh Meadows, N.Y. Francis LewisFerenc Valkai GS Sabre Gödöllo, Hungary Petofi Sándor GymnasiumSean White Jr. Epee Manassas, Va. Osbourn ParkHunter Williams-Burrows So. Foil Jersey City, N.J. Saint Peter’s Preparatory

Head Coach: Yury Gelman (Kiev Physical Education College `77) - 22nd seasonAssistant Coaches: Mikhail Shimshovich, Boris Vaksman, Oleg Brusilovsky

#7 ST. JOHN'S RED STORM (M)

Name Year Event Hometown High SchoolKarolina Cieslar Fr. Sabre Kailyn Gillick So. Sabre Nanuet, N.Y. Academy of the Holy AngelsMelissa Gillick So. Foil Nanuet, N.Y. Academy of the Holy AngelsJennifer Grocki So. Foil Garden City, N.Y. Garden CityKaylee Herndon Fr. Foil Elizabethtown, Pa. ElizabethtownMargaret McDonald Sr. Sabre Atlanta, Ga. GradyDestiny McIntosh So. Foil Queens, N.Y. High School of Fashion IndustriesAbby Murray So. Epee Gainesville, Va. BattlefieldJudith Russell Jr. Foil Washington, D.C. Hayfield Ally Ryf Jr. Epee Houston, Texas BellaireMathilda Taharo Sr. Sabre Lyon, France Lycee de GresivaudanDominique Tannous So. Epee North Providence, R.I. St. Mary Academy - BayviewOlivia Xu Fr. Epee San Marino, Calif. Westridge School For GirlsVeronika Zuikova Jr. Epee Tallinn, Estonia Tallinn Mustamae Humanitarian Gymnasium

Head Coach: Yury Gelman (Kiev Physical Education College `77) - 22nd seasonAssistant Coaches: Mikhail Shimshovich, Boris Vaksman, Oleg Brusilovsky

ST. JOHN'S RED STORM (W)

Name Year Event Hometown George Allen So. Foil Bloomsbury, N.J.Leonard Behrens So. Epee Cincinnati, OhioIan Blakeslee Fr. Epee Stirling, N.J.Brennan Casey So. Epee Montgomery, N.J.Zhaoyang Cheng Sr. Sabre Moorestown, N.J.Daniel Cleary Sr. Sabre Lincoln Park, NJTimothy Dana Sr. Foil East Lyme, Conn.Christopher DiCostanzo Jr. Epee Manasquan, N.J.Ryan Edelstein So. Foil San Diego, Calif.Ian Fan Jr. Sabre Berkeley Heights, N.J.Carmine Freda Fr. Foil Brick, N.J.Antonio Fuda So. Epee Spring Lake, N.J.Nicholas Gray Fr. Foil Lincroft, NJ.Benjamin Hughes Sr. Foil West Orange, N.J.Tyler La Tourrette Jr. Epee Stony Brook, N.Y.Nick Martella So. Epee Montclair, N.J.Gregory Milani So. Epee Brewster, N.Y.Jeffrey Paine Jr. Sabre New Providence, N.J.Ryan Palmer Fr. Foil Jackson, N.J.Stephen Rienzi Sr. Epee Warren, N.J.Michael Ruotolo Jr. Foil Huntington Station, N.Y.Andy Shu Jr. Foil Bayside, N.Y.Timothy Steinberg So. Sabre Yorktown HeightsNathan Tahbaz So. Epee Pelham, N.Y.Kirk Visser Jr. Epee Nyack, N.Y.Dante Volpe Fr. Foil Staten Island, N.Y.Brennan Wu So. Sabre Basking Ridge, N.J.Justin Yu So. Foil Holmdel, N.J.

Head Coach: Jim CarpenterAssistant Coaches: Aleks Ochocki, Alex Martin

STEVENS DUCKS (M)

Object of a Fencing Bout

The object of a fencing match (called a bout in fencing) is to score 5 touches (in preliminary pool play) or 15 touches (in direct elimination play) before your opponent, or to have a higher score than your opponent when the time limit expires. Touches are received by hitting your opponent in the appropriate target area. Pool bouts consist of one 3-minute period, or 5 touches, which-ever comes first. Direct elimination bouts consist of three 3-minute periods, or 15 touches, whichever comes first.

Following the Action

The fencer being attacked defends himself by use of a “parry”, a motion used to deflect the opponent’s blade, after which the defender can make a “riposte”, and answering attack. Whenever a hit is made, the referee will stop the bout, describe the action, and decide whether to award a touch. Fencers seek to maintain a safe distance from each other – that is out of range of the op-ponent’s attack. Then, one will try to break this distance to gain the advantage for an attack. At times, a fencer will make a false attack to gauge the types of reactions of their opponent.

When a fencer lands a hit, the referee stops the bout and – in foil and sabre – determines who was the attacker, if the opponent successfully defended themselves, and which fencer should be awarded a touch, if any.

Valid touches are indicated by a red or a green light on the scoring machine, each fencer has a different color light. In-valid touch-es are indicated by a white light on the scoring machine. Every time a light is shown on the scoring machine the referee will stop the action, even if there was no valid hit. In foil and sabre, only one fencer may score a touch at a time, but in epee, both fencers may each score a touch at the same time if the both land a valid hit, and both lights come on the scoring machine.

While it may be difficult to follow the referee’s calls, the referee always clearly raises their hand on the side of the fencer for whom they have awarded a point. Watching these hand signals can make it easier for newcomers to follow the action.

The Scoring Machine

The scoring machine will light up on the side of the fencer who hits their opponent. A red or green light (depends on which side the fencer is one) indicates a hit in valid target area, and white light indicates a hit on in-valid target area. The scoring machine also keeps score of the total overall points each fencer has accumulated, and in most cases, it also keeps time. The times counts down from 3 minutes, stopping each time the action stops.

The Weapons

Foil The foil is a descendant of the light court sword formally used by nobility to train for duels. The foil has a flexible rectangular blade, approximately 35 inches in length and weighs less than one pound. Points are scored with the tip of the blade and must land within the torso of the body. The valid target area in foil (i.e. the only places that you can hit to score a touch) is the torso from the shoulders to the groin in the front and to the waist in the back (indicated in orange in the figure above). It does not include the arms, neck, head, and legs. This concept of on-target and off-target evolved from the theory of 18th century fencing masters who instructed their students to only attack the vital areas of the body (i.e. the torso). Of course, the head is also a vital area of the body, but attacks to the face were considered unsporting and therefore discouraged.

FENCING AT A GLANCE

Off-target hits are indicated by a white light on the scoring machine, while on-target hits are indicated by the red or green light.

The foil fencer’s uniform includes a metallic vest (called a lamé in fencing) which covers the valid target area so that a valid touch will register on the scoring machine. This metallic material also covers the bottom of the bib of the mask, which is also valid target area. The flexible nature of the foil blade permits the modern elite foil fencer to attack and opponent from seemingly impossible angles.

1896 (the first modern Olympic Games) featured Men’s Foil events.1924 was the first Olympics to feature Women’s Foil events.

Epee The epee (pronounced “epp-pay”, meaning sword in French), is the descendant of the dueling sword, and is similar in length to the foil, but heavier, weighing approximately 27 ounces, with a larger guard (to protect the hand from a valid touch), and a much stiffer blade. Touches are scored only with the point of the blade, and the entire body, head-to-toe, is the valid target area, imitating an actual duel (indicated in orange in the figure above).

A full-body target naturally makes epee a competition of careful strategy and patience. Therefore, rather than attacking outright, epeeists often spend time probing their opponents defenses and maneuvering for distance before risking an attack. Others choose to stay on the defensive throughout the entire bout.

1900 was the first Olympics to feature Men’s Epee events.1996 was the first Olympics to feature Women’s Epee events.

Sabre The sabre is the modern version of the slashing cavalry sword, is similar in length and weight to the foil. The major difference is the use of the blade. The sabre is a cutting weapon as well as a thrusting weapon; therefore, sabreists can score with the edge of their blade as well as the point. The target area is from the bend of the hips (both front and back), to the top of the head (indicated in orange in the figure above). This simulates the cavalry rider on a horse. The sabre fencer’s uniform includes a metallic jacket (lamé), which fully covers the target area to register a valid touch on the scoring machine. Because the head is also valid target, the fencer’s mask is also electrically wired.

In sabre, the rules strongly favor the fencer who attacks first, and a mere graze by the blade against the lamé registers a touch. These circumstances naturally make sabre a fast, aggressive game, with fencers rushing their opponent from the moment the referees gives the instruction to fence.

1896 (the first modern Olympic Games) featured Men’s Sabre events.2004 was the first Olympics to feature a Women’s Sabre event.

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RESULTS