USA Fencing

For Immediate Release

20 Jan. 2011

 

 

From Feb. 18-21, the Dallas Convention Center will host some of the continent's finest athletes at the 2011 Junior Olympic Fencing Championships. The Junior Olympics will be one of the premier events in U.S. Fencing's season, at which World Champions will compete for the right to represent the U.S. team at Junior and Cadet World Championship competitions in the months to come.

 

This is an excellent opportunity to see some of the world's finest athletes competing in the original extreme sport!

 

More than 1500 fencers will come to Dallas for the four days of competition. Events will be held in the Under-20 and Under-17 age categories in the six fencing weapons: men's and women's foil, epee, and sabre. Athletes from the U.S., Canada and Europe will compete.

 

All events will be free and open to the public. Competition starts Friday, Feb. 18. Fencing begins at 8:30 a.m. each morning, and will continue through the early evening. Local volunteers will be on hand to provide spectator information.

 

Dallas fencer Mona Shaito (16, Dallas, Texas/Fencing Inst. Texas) won the Under-17 (Cadet) Women’s Foil event at the North American Cup held at the Dallas Convention Center just a few weeks ago, Jan. 14-18.  Shaito also won the bronze in the Junior (under-20) Women’s Foil event. This has been a great season so far for Shaito, who earned the bronze at the 2010 Junior Nationals and silver at the November 2010 Junior NAC held in Milwaukee. She also won silver at a European Cadet event in Germany this past November. She’s now on the short list for the 2011 Junior World Championships team.

 

Erica Zhao (16, Plano, Texas/Dallas FC) won silver in the Junior Women’s Saber event in Dallas in January. Zhao has recently had good results at World Cups, as well; Zhao won a European Cadet Cup in Germany on December 13. She is ranked seventh in the US Under-17 standings.

 

Both are hot contenders for spots on the team to the Junior & Cadet World Championships in Jordan  this coming April! The Junior Olympics will be a final, critical competition in their attempt to reach this team.

 

For head shots, bios or to contact any of the athletes please email or call Cindy Bent, (614)746.6733, pr@usfencing.org. Interviews and even fencing demonstrations can be arranged at any time.

For more information on local fencers and clubs, please contact Andrew Waddoups, 817-832-9321.

For a schedule of events and more information, see http://usfencing.org/events/4663