(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – When the Olympic qualifying process is made up of more than a dozen tournaments, sometimes it’s a single day that can make all the difference.
For 21-year-old epee Susannah Scanlan (St. Paul, Minn.), that day may have come on Sunday when she finished 16th at the Budapest Epee Grand Prix in Hungary.
The result was the first top-16 placing for the 2009 Senior World Team member and a result that moved her from #7 to #3 in the USA Fencing National Team Point Standings.
Scanlan advanced out of the preliminary rounds on Saturday as one of three U.S. athletes to qualify for the table of 64 on Sunday.
In the first round, Scanlan defeated Man Wai Kong (HKG), 15-12, and went on to win her bout against Beate Christmann (GER), 15-9.
Scanlan trailed 2010 Senior World Champion Maureen Nisima (FRA) throughout their bout in the table of 16, but she made a solid comeback to score six unanswered touches in the third period. Unfortunately, the comeback came too late and Nisima closed out the bout, 15-11, to finish the day in 16th place.
After an injury kept her from earning points at the January North American Cup in Portland, four-time Senior World Team member Lindsay Campbell (Brooklyn, N.Y.) has been working to make up ground in the rankings and she continued her upward trend with a 27th place finish that moves her from #11 to #6 in the rankings.
Seeded 34th in the table after the preliminary rounds, Campbell won her first bout against Amalia Tataran (ROU), but lost in the table of 32 to 2011 Senior World medalist Ana Branza (ROU), 15-6.
Francesca Bassa (Houston, Texas) also advanced to the table of 64 where she finished 51st after a 10-9 loss to In-Jeong Choi (KOR).
Bassa’s result allowed her to hold onto a #5 ranking.
The top six athletes in the USA Fencing National Team Point Standings at the conclusion of the Moscow Grand Prix are as follows:
1. Courtney Hurley (San Antonio, Texas)
2. Maya Lawrence (Teaneck, N.J.)
3. Susannah Scanlan (St. Paul, Minn.)
4. Kelley Hurley (San Antonio, Texas)
5. Francesca Bassa (Houston, Texas)
6. Lindsay Campbell (Brookyn, N.Y.)
The U.S. Women’s Epee Team for the London Games will be selected based upon the team rankings at the conclusion of the USA Fencing Division I National Championships in Virginia Beach on April 15. The top three athletes in the rankings on April 15 will be nominated to the Olympic Team and the fourth ranked athlete will be the replacement athlete.
Top eight and U.S. results are as follows, including athletes who were eliminated in the preliminary rounds on Friday:
Budapest Epee Grand Prix
1. Malgorzata Bereza (POL)
2. Mara Navarria (ITA)
3. Erika Kirpu (EST)
3. Emese Szasz (HUN)
5. Simona Gherman (ROU)
6. In-Jeong Choi (KOR)
7. Rossella Fiamingo (ITA)
8. Maureen Nisima (FRA)
16. Susannah Scanlan (St. Paul, Minn.)
27. Lindsay Campbell (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
51. Francesca Bassa (Houston, Texas)
73. Courtney Hurley (San Antonio, Texas)
88. Holly Buechel (New York City, N.Y.)
100. Kelley Hurley (San Antonio, Texas)
111. Maya Lawrence (Teaneck, N.J.)
130. Lauren Willock (Astoria, N.Y.)
Tag(s): News
