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U.S. fencers foiled for bronze
By Cindy Bent Finlay // U.S. Fencing Association // August 21, 2004
ATHENS, Greece -- U.S. fencers have continued their unprecedented blaze of Olympic victories in Athens in the men’s foil competition.
The underdog men’s foil team of Jed Dupree (Bethlehem, Pa.), Dan Kellner (Warren, N.J.) and Jon Tiomkin (Hewlett, N.Y.), ranked no. 7 going into the competition, defeated the hugely favored no.-2-seeded team from Germany in the round of 8, 45-43.
The team led for most of the match due to superb performances against a team stacked with the no. 4 fencer in the world, Ralf Bissdorf; the no. 8 fencer in the world, Peter Joppich, and the no. 15 fencer in the world, Andre Wessels.
The Germans caught the US in the second to last encounter, leading by one touch 40-39. Dan Kellner took the team home with a 6-4 victory over Wessels to end the match 45-43.
The semifinal round did not go as well for the U.S. men. They lost to a very strong team from China 45-35.
The US men’s foil team of Jed Dupree (Bethlehem, Pa.), Dan Kellner (Warren, N.J.) and Jon Tiomkin (Hewlett, N.Y.) lost the bronze medal match to Russia, 45-38.
The men fenced a patient and tenacious match but the Russians overcame the team a few touched at a time throughout the last half of the match to win.
The fourth-placed finish is the highest for a men’s foil team since 1956.
Tune in to newly planned coverage of the bronze and gold medal foil team matches at 4 p.m. Eastern time on CNBC.
The entire US team has surpassed all expectations with its gold and bronze medals earned by Mariel Zagunis (Beaverton, Ore.) and Sada Jacobson (Dunwoody, Ga.) and by the 4th place finish of the men’s saber team, the highest in decades.
Tomorrow: The no. 7-seeded US Men’s epee team of Seth Kelsey (Brush Prairie, Wash.), Cody Mattern (Portland, Ore.) and Soren Thompson (San Diego, Calif.) begin their own bid for glory, facing no.2-seed France in their opening match.
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