(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – Four members of the U.S. Women’s Fencing Team advanced to the table of 64 at the first World Cup of the season in Doha, Qatar on Sunday.
After dropping just one bout in the pool rounds on Saturday, Holly Buechel (New York City, N.Y.) finished 10th meant that she could bypass the preliminary tables and advance directly into the table of 64 on Sunday.
Three of Buechel’s teammates – Natalie Vie (New York City, N.Y.), Lindsay Campbell (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Courtney Hurley (San Antonio, Texas) – fenced through the preliminary tables of 128 and 64 to move into the rounds on Sunday.
Buechel finished 40th in her first top-64 appearance since 2010 after a 15-11 loss to Alexandra Ndolo (GER) in the table of 64.
Vie’s performance in Qatar also was a breakthrough as the former National Champion placed 45th – her top finish since 2010 as well. Ranked 17th after the pools, Vie earned a bye into the preliminary table of 64 where she defeated Evelyn Halls (AUS), 15-11, on Saturday. In the first round of the event on Sunday, however, Vie lost to Sheng Lin (CHN), 15-11.
After an injury at the January North American Cup kept Lindsay Campbell (Brooklyn, N.Y.) out of the top 32, the five-time Senior World Team member began the World Cup circuit needing to make up valuable Olympic qualifying points and her 48th place finish helped her begin to close the gap. Campbell won both of her direct elimination bouts on Saturday against Alexandra Avena (MEX) and Malgorzata Bereza (POL) by 15-12 scores. In the table of 64 on Sunday, she fell to two-time Senior World medalist Emese Szasz (HUN), 15-9.
Six-time Senior World medalist Courtney Hurley (San Antonio, Texas) earned enough points from her 54th place result to retain her top ranking in the United States. Hurley had a bye into the preliminary table of 64 where she won her bout against Beata Tereba-Zawrotniak (POL), 15-8. On Sunday, Hurley lost her opening bout to two-time Junior World medalist Eun-Sook Choi (KOR), 15-9, and finished 54th.
Competition continued in the team event on Monday where Campbell and Hurley were joined by four-time Senior World Team member Maya Lawrence Teaneck, N.J.) and 2008 Olympian Kelley Hurley (San Antonio. Texas).
Team USA lost in the table of 16 to France, 45-28, but won their next bout against Switzerland, 45-29, in the 9th – 16th place table.
After a 45-42 loss to Germany, Team USA ended the day on a high note with a 45-34 win in their bout against Hungary to finish 11th overall.
Top eight and U.S. results for the individual event are as follows, including athletes who were eliminated on Saturday:
Doha Epee Individual World Cup
1. Mara Navarria (ITA)
2. Hyo-Jung Jung (KOR)
3. Rossella FIamingo (ITA)
3. Francesca Quondamcarlo (ITA)
5. Tiffany Geroudet (SUI)
6. Xiaojuan Luo (CHN)
7. Loredana Dinu (ROU)
8. Kseniya Pantelyeyeva (UKR)
40. Holly Buechel (New York City, N.Y.)
45. Natalie Vie (New York City, N.Y.)
48. Lindsay Campbell (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
54. Courtney Hurley (San Antonio, Texas)
66. Maya Lawrence (Teaneck, N.J.)
86. Lauren Willock (Astoria, N.Y.)
90. Susannah Scanlan (St. Paul, Minn.)
94. Kelley Hurley (San Antonio, Texas)
122. Francesca Bassa (Houston, Texas)
130. Eleanor Leighton (Mishawakawa, Ind.)
Top eight and U.S. results in the team event are as follows:
Doha Epee Team World Cup
1. Russia
2. China
3. Romania
4. Korea
5. France
6. Italy
7. Ukraine
8. Estonia
11. USA
Tag(s): News Kelley Hurley
