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The Pan American Games Silver Medal Goes to U.S. Women; Sabre Team
By Julie Goldsticker // USA Fencing Association; USA Boxing; USA Taekwondo // July 21, 2007
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – The United States Women’s Fencing Team won the silver medal in the Team Sabre competition in the Riocentro Pavilhao at the XV Pan American Games. The U.S. Team of Emma Baretta (Somerville, N.J.), Eileen Grench (Davis, Calif.), Alexis Jemal (Westfield, N.J.) and alternate Hanna Thompson (Rochester, N.Y.) were defeated by the team from Cuba, 45-39, in the gold medal match.
Jemal led off for Team USA and bested her Cuban opponent in the first match, 5-4. Baratta took to the strip in the number two position, but could not hold the lead as Cuba finished the match ahead, 10-7. Grench wrapped up round one by keeping the Cubans from extending their lead, finishing her match with the U.S. still down three.
Jemal started off the second round by again keeping the U.S. within three, 20-17. Grench then took to the strip and rallied to tie the score at 21, before taking the lead back for Team USA, 23-22. Her match remained tight the rest of the way, as she recouped two points for the U.S. Team by finishing behind the Cuban team, 25-24. Baratta kept the pressure on, dropping only one point in her second round match. Team USA headed into the final rotation down by two, 30-28.
In the final three matches, Grench took the strip first and rallied to tie the Cubans at 32 apiece. After losing the next two points she pulled within one, 34-33, before being touched to end her round, 35-33. Jemal was next for the U.S. Team and ran into a very aggressive Cuban opponent. She was able to only to secure one touch in her match which ended with the Cubans in the lead, 40-34. Baratta then headed to the strip and scored five touches, but was unable to gain the 11 touches needed to win the match.
“We knew from the get-go that they were going to be hard. They are a very strong team and they have a lot of heart. We are both smart teams and very hard workers. We knew we had to move, but maybe we made some bad decisions this time, but we will learn from this,” said Grench.
“Fencing is a sport that is very complicated. There are a lot of physical and mental aspects not to mention technique. So there are so many things that go into it, so it could be anybody’s day, and today Cuba was the better team,” said Jemal.
“I am definitely proud we medaled here and I think we fenced pretty well. We are obviously disappointed we did not win our last match, but we all fenced pretty hard and they were a tough team,” said Baratta.
The United States reached the finals of the Team Sabre competition by defeating Venezuela in the semifinal round.
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