USA Fencing

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – Anne-Marie Walters (Parkland, Fla.) and Elizabeth Kocab (Farmington Hills, Mich.) each reached the podium at the Veteran World Championships in Krems, Austria on Wednesday.

Walters won her fourth straight Veteran World medal with a silver in the women’s 50-59 foil event.

After placing third in 2011 and second in both 2009 and 2010, Walters was ranked fifth after a 5-1 result in the pools.

In the table of 32, Walters defeated Kaoru Amari (JPN), 10-4, and gave up just one touch to Elena Filyanskaya (RUS) whom she defeated, 10-1.

Fencing 2006 Veteran World Champion Astrid Kircheis (GER) in the quarter-finals, Walters fought a close bout, but earned the win, 10-7.

In the semifinals, Walters met Gianna Cirillo (ITA) – the two-time Veteran World medalist who defeated fifth-place finisher Ursula Szpak (Trophy Club, Texas), 9-6, in the quarters and Jennette Starks-Faulkner (Middletown, Conn.), 6-5, in the table of 16.

Walters took the win over Cirillo, 10-4, to fence Ludmila Chernova (RUS) for a chance at her first Veteran World title. The bout would be Walters’ third finals match-up with Chernova who won gold during their previous two encounters in 2009 and 2010.

Although the bout went a full three periods, Walters lost to the three-time Veteran World Champion, 6-3.

Competing at her first Veteran World Championships, Kristin Vines (Chatanooga, Tenn.) placed sixth after a 10-3 loss to Chernova in the quarters.

 

her bronze medal at the Veteran Worlds.

Kocab won gold in her 50-59 women’s epee debut at the Veteran World Championships in 2011 and was favored to return to the podium when she moved up to the 60-69 category this year.

Indeed, Kocab started the event in a dominant fashion with the day’s only undefeated result in the pools and a 10-1 victory over Elfi Bender (GER) in the table of 16.

Kocab’s next win came quickly as well when she defeated two-time Veteran World medalist Brigitte Naegele (FRA), 10-2, in the quarters.

Her run was halted in the semifinals, however by Iris Gardini (ITA). A three-weapon standout, Gardini has won Veteran World titles in both epee and saber. After she defeated Kocab, 10-7, Gardini would go on to win her third gold medal in as many years.

In the quarter-finals, Gardini eliminated Kocab’s teammate, Diane Kallus (Round Rock Texas) from medal contention when the Italian won their bout, 8-4. Kallus placed eighth overall at her 14^th Veteran World Championships.

Anna Estrada (San Francisco, Calif.) won her opening bout in the direct elimination table against Roswitha Stelzer (AUT), 10-4. In the table of 16, however, Estrada lost to Moya McNamara (GBR), 10-7.

Seeded sixth out of the pools, Bonnie Aher (Brookfield, Conn.) earned a bye into the table of 16, but lost to eventual bronze medalist Fiona Haldane (GBR), 3-2.

Men’s +70 saber fencer William Hall (Acton, Mass.) outtouched Helmut Resch (AUT), 10-9, in the table of 32, but lost his next round to 1999 Veteran World Champion Franz Hirt (GER) who went on to take the silver medal.

A bronze medalist at the 2011 Veteran Worlds, John Terninko (Nottingham, Mass.) earned a bye into the table of 16 where he lost his bout to 2011 Veteran World medalist William Osbaldeston (GBR), 10-6.

Victor Bianchini (San Diego, Calif.) also had a bye in the first round of the direct elimination table before losing his table of 16 to two-time Veteran World Champion Wolf Nettingsmeyer (GER), 10-6.

First-time team member Thomas Fischer (Raytown, Mo.) was eliminated in the pools.

Competition continues on Thursday when the following events will be held:

Veteran Men’s 50-59 Saber
Don Anthony, Jr. (Columbus, Ohio), 2010 Veteran World silver medalist
Will Milne (Redwood City, Calif.)
Val Kizik (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Dmitri Kopylov (Roseland, N.J.)

Veteran Men’s 60-69 Foil
Joseph Biebel (Bayside, Wis.), 2003 Veteran World Champion and three-time medalist
Joseph Streb (Columbus, Ohio), 2005 Veteran World bronze medalist
Rinaldo Campana (McLean, Va.)
Ray Sexton III (Round Rock, Texas), 1999 Veteran World Champion and eight-time medalist

Veteran Women’s 60-69 Foil
Judith Offerle (Winnetka, Ill.), 2007 Veteran World silver medalist
Madelon Rosenfeld (New York City, N.Y.)
Joanne Stevens (New York City, N.Y.)
Deborah Theriault (Pittsburgh, Pa.)

Veteran Women’s +70 Epee
Patricia Bedrosian (Malibu, Calif.), 2005 Veteran World bronze medalist
Bettie Graham (Washington, D.C.), 2011 Veteran World bronze medalist
Diane Reckling (White Plains, N.Y.)

Click here to view complete results.

Top eight and U.S. results are as follows:

Women’s 50-59 Foil
1. Ludmila Chernova (RUS)
2. Anne-Marie Walters (Parkland, Fla.)
3. Jenny Bonney-Millett (AUS)
3. Gianna Cirillo (ITA)
5. Ursula Szpak (Trophy Club, Texas)
6. Kristin Vines (Chatanooga, Tenn.)
7. Jennifer Morris (GBR)
8. Astrid Kircheis (GER)

11. Jennette Starks-Faulkner (Middletown, Conn.)

Women’s 60-69 Epee
1. Iris Gardini (ITA)
2. Marja-Liisa Tuulikki Someroja (FIN)
3. Fiona Haldane (GBR)
3. Elizabeth Kocab (Farmington Hills, Mich.)
5. Annick Martin (FRA)
6. Brigitte Naegele (GER)
7. Moya McNamara (GBR)
8. Diane Kallus (Round Rock, Texas)

10. Bonnie Aher (Brookfield, Conn.
11. Anna Estrada (San Francisco, Calif.)

Men’s +70 Saber
1. Karl-Hheinz Esser (GER)
2. Franz Hirt (GER)
3. Ferdinando Cappelli (ITA)
3. William Osbaldeston (GBR)
5. Jean Paul Spertini (FRA)
6. Gari Aftandilov (RUS)
7. Wolf Nettingsmeyer (GER)
8. Gyorgy Budai (HUN)

11. John Terninko (Nottingham, Mass.)
12. Victor Bianchini (San Diego, Calif.)
14. William Hall (Acton, Mass.)
25. Thomas Fischer (Raytown, Mo.)