(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – After four top-eight finishes on the international circuit this season, 16-year-old Francesca Russo (Wayne, N.J.) broke through to earn her first Junior World Cup medal in Dourdan, France on Saturday.
The 2011 Junior and Cadet World Team member has continued to compete on both the junior and cadet circuits this season where she placed fifth at the Konin Cadet European Cup in Poland and sixth at the Godollo cadet event in Hungary last fall. When the Junior World Cup season opened in Sosnowiec, Poland in November, Russo finished eighth and added a sixth-place result in Dormagen, Germany in December.
On Saturday, Russo won each of her six pool bouts to earn a #6 seed in the table of 128 and a bye into the table of 64 as one of 11 Americans in the table.
Russo won her first direct elimination bout against Benedetta Baldini (ITA), 15-13, and defeated Angelika Wator (POL), 15-12, in the table of 32.
In the table of 16, Russo won her bout against Diana Nikolaeva (RUS) to advance to her fifth international quarter-final of the season.
Margaret McDonald (Atlanta, Ga.), Russo’s 2011 Cadet World Teammate, also advanced to the table of 16 where she lost a 15-8 bout against Kinga Drozdz (POL) who went on to win bronze.
In the quarter-finals, Russo found herself in another close battle, but she pulled out a win against German Jasmin Bueherle, 15-13.
Russo lost her semifinal bout against eventual gold medalist Beline Boulay (FRA), 15-8.
Click here to view complete results.
Top eight and U.S. results are as follows:
Dourdan Junior Saber Women’s World Cup
1. Beline Boulay (FRA)
2. Saoussen Boudiaf (FRA)
3. Kinga Drozdz (POL)
3. Francesca Russo (Wayne, N.Y.)
5. Kenza Boudad (FRA)
6. Jasmin Buehrle (GER)
7. Tatiana Sukhova (RUS)
8. Valentina Pegolo (ITA)
10. Margaret McDonald (Atlanta, Ga.)
24. Sage Palmedo (Portland, Ore.)
27. Lena Johnson (Peachtree City, Ga.)
31. Alisha Gomez (Wayne, N.J.)
35. Skyla Powers (Atlanta, Ga.)
36. Sophie Keehan (Erie, Pa.)
39. Allison Lee (Saddle River, N.J.)
47. Alexa Antipas (Stony Brook, N.Y.)
52. Adrienne Jarocki (New York City, N.Y.)
58. Caroline Gilchrist (Moss Beach, Calif.)
73. Emma Keehan (Erie, Pa.)
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