USA Fencing

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – Team USA arrived in Budapest, Hungary and Gdarisk, Poland this week to compete in two grand prix events.

The foil grand prix will be held in Gdarisk on Friday and Saturday and the epee event will take place in Budapest on Saturday and Sunday.  Preliminary competition is held on the first day of each tournament, followed by the top 64 on the second day. 

A silver medalist at the 2008 Olympic Games in the team event, this is the second major international event for Emily Cross (New York City, N.Y.) since Beijing.

Cross’s first return to the European circuit was at the world cup in Tauberbischofscheim, Germany where she narrowly missed the round of 64. Four of the U.S. Team members who placed in the top 50 in Germany also will be fencing this weekend, including 2010 Cadet World Champion Lee Kiefer (Lexington, Ky.), 2010 Senior World Team member Doris Willette (Lafayette, Calif.), Ambika Singh (Skillman, N.J.) and Margaret Lu (Greenwich, Conn.)

All four of the 2010 Senior World Team members will be competing in the event, including Willette and Kiefer as well as Nzingha Prescod (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Nicole Ross (New York City, N.Y.)

Among the top international athletes to watch are 2010 World Champion Elisa Di Francisca (ITA) and World medalists Arianna Errigo (ITA), Valentina Vezzali (ITA) and Hyun-Hee Nam (KOR).

The epee team competing in Budapest also includes all four 2010 World Team members: Lindsay Campbell (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Lauren Willock (Astoria, N.Y.) and sisters Courtney and Kelley Hurley (San Antonio, Texas).

Another athlete to watch is Maya Lawrence (Teaneck, N.J.)  who had one of the best bouts of her career two weeks ago when she upset 2004 Olympic silver medalist Laura Flessel-Colovic (FRA) and is aiming to improve on her 30^th place finish at the Doha World Cup in Qatar.

Flessel-Colovic is scheduled to compete in this event as well as 2010 World Champion Maureen Nisima (FRA) and World medalists Emese Szasz (HUN) and Tatiana Logounova (RUS).

The complete roster of athletes competing in both events is as follows:

Gdarisk Foil Grand Prix

• Emily Cross (New York City, N.Y.)
• Lee Kiefer (Lexington, Ky.)
• Margaret Lu (Greenwich, Conn.)
• Adrienne Nott (Honeoye Falls, N.Y)
• Nzingha Prescod (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
• Nicole Ross (New York City, N.Y.)
• Ambika Singh (Skillman, N.J.)
• Doris Willette (Lafayette, Calif.)

Budapest Epee Grand Prix

• Francesca Bassa (Houston, Texas)
• Lindsay Campbell (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
• Courtney Hurley (San Antonio, Texas)
• Kelley Hurley (San Antonio, Texas).
• Maya Lawrence (Teaneck, N.J.)
• Susannah Scanlan (St. Paul, Minn.)
• Ashley Severson (Franklin Lakes, N.J.)
• Lauren Willock (Astoria, N.Y.)