USA Fencing

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – London Olympic nominee Alexander Massialas (San Francisco, Calif.) finished 10^th at the Havana Foil World Cup on Saturday in Cuba. 

Seeded ninth in the final Olympic seeding event of the season, Massialas was exempt from the pools on Friday and advanced directly to the table of 64 on Saturday. All four 2012 U.S. Olympic Team nominees were exempt, including Race Imboden (Brooklyn, N.Y.) who was seeded second as well as ninth seed Gerek Meinhardt (San Francisco, Calif.) and 16^th seed Miles Chamley-Watson (Phladelphia, Pa.) 

Massialas opened with a 15-13 win over Gislain Perrier (FRA) in the table of 64 and defeatedRaul Arizaga (MEX), 15-7, in the table of 32.

As the only U.S. athletes in the table of 16, Massialas fenced Maor Hatoel (ISR) in his next bout. Massialas led throughout the bout, but Hatoel tied the score at 12 and won the bout, 13-12, in overtime.

Imboden, Meinhardt and Chamley-Watson each advanced to the table of 32.

Imboden defeated Ben Peggs (GBR), 15-9, in his first bout and finished 17^th after a 15-5 loss toTommaso Lari (ITA).

Meinhardt opened with a 15-4 win over Jean-Paul Tony Helissey (FRA) in the table of 64, but lost his table of 32 bout to Edoardo Luperi (ITA), 15-11, and finished in 22^nd place.

After a 15-8 win against Pawel Kawiecki (POL) in the table of 64, Chamley-Watson was edged by another Italian when Tobia Biondo took the 15-13 win. Chamley-Watson finished 25^thoverall.

Six U.S. athletes advanced to the table of 64, but each lost in the opening round on Saturday.

Jerry Chang (Mountain View, Calif.), who won gold at the 2012 Junior World Championships with Massialas and Imboden, placed 40^th after a 15-2 loss to Lari.

Chang’s teammate at the 2012 Junior Worlds, Michael Dudey (Bellaire, Texas), finished the day in 50^th place. Dudey lost to Enzo Lefort (FRA), 15-12, in the table of 64.

David Willette (Lafayette, Calif.), a 2011 Junior World Team Champion, drew 2011 Senior World medalist Victor Sintes (FRA) in the table of 64 where he lost the bout, 15-11, and placed 57^thoverall.

Turner Caldwell (San Francisco, Calif.) and Adam Mathieu (Union City, N.J.) tied for 60^thplace.

Caldwell lost to fourth seed Jianfei Ma (CHN), 15-11, and Mathieu lost to three-time individual Senior World medalist Sheng Lei (CHN), 15-4.

Michael Woo (Wayne, N.J.) lost his table of 64 bout to 2011 Senior World medalist Giorgio Avola (ITA), 15-7, and placed 62^nd overall.

Top eight and U.S. results are as follows, including athletes who did not advance to the table of 64:

Havana Foil Individual World Cup
1. Julien Mertine (FRA)
2. Giorgio Avola (ITA)
3. Valerio Aspromonte (ITA)
3. Tobia Biondo (ITA)
5. Maor Hatoel (ISR)
6. Hua Li (CHN)
7. Jeremy Cadot (FRA)
8. Martino Minuto (ITA) 

10. Alexander Massialas (San Francisco, Calif.)
17. Race Imboden (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
22. Gerek Meinhardt (San Francisco, Calif.)
25. Miles Chamley-Watson (Philadelphia, Pa.)
40. Jerry Chang (Mountain View, Calif.)
50. Michael Dudey (Bellaire, Texas)
57. David Willette (Lafayette, Calif.)
60. Turner Caldwell (San Francisco, Calif.)
60. Adam Mathieu (Union City, N.J.)
62. Michael Woo (Wayne, N.J.)
85. Julian Cardillo (Medford, Mass.)
90. Ira Schlosberg (Bellaire, Texas)