USA Fencing

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – Six-time Senior World Team member Courtney Hurley (San Antonio, Texas) ended the international Olympic qualifying season with a 27th place finish at the St. Maur Epee World Cup in France on Saturday.

In her bid to qualify for her first Olympic Team, Hurley continues to be the #1-ranked women’s epee fencer in the USA Fencing National Team Point Rankings with one tournament remaining before the U.S. Olympic Team is nominated by USA Fencing on April 15.

Ranked 17th in the world at the start of the event, Hurley missed being exempt from the pools and preliminary rounds on Friday by a single slot, but she advanced to the table of 64 on Saturday with teammates Lindsay Campbell (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Holly Buechel (New York City, N.Y.)

After edging Alexandra Ndolo (GER), 15-14, in the table of 64, Hurley lost a close bout to 2011 Junior and Senior World silver medalist Yujie Sun (CHN), 15-12.

Campbell finished 46th after a 15-12 loss to 2008 Junior World silver medalist Simona Deac (ROU).

Buechel met fifth-ranked Tiffany Geroudet (SUI) in her opening bout and lost the bout, 15-12. Buechel placed 61st overall.

Buechel’s result allowed her to move from seventh to sixth in the rankings while Campbell moved to seventh.

The women’s epee team for the 2012 Olympic Games will be named at the USA Fencing Division I National Championships in Virginia Beach on April 14. The top three women’s epee fencers in the U.S. team rankings will be named to the Olympic Team and the fourth will be the replacement athlete.

The top three positions are currently held by Hurley, Maya Lawrence (Teaneck, N.J.) and Susie Scanlan (St. Paul, Minn.) Campbell and 2008 Olympian Kelley Hurley (San Antonio, Texas) will be in a close contest for the fourth position in Virginia Beach.

Top eight and U.S. results are as follows:

St. Maur Epee World Cup
1. Emma Samuelsson (SWE)
2. Yujie Sun (CHN)
3. Erika Kirpu (EST)
3. Laura Flessel-Colovic (FRA)
5. Tiffany Geroudet (SUI)
6. Mara Navarria (ITA)
7. Irina Embrich (EST)
8. Eun-Sook Choi (KOR)

27. Courtney Hurley (San Antonio, Texas)
46. Lindsay Campbell (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
61. Holly Buechel (New York City, N.Y.)
69. Maya Lawrence (Teaneck, N.J.)
75. Nina Van Loon (Boulder, Colo.)
83. Jessica O’Neill-Lyublinsky (North Salem, N.Y.)
95. Kelley Hurley (San Antonio, Texas)
98. Natalie Vie (New York City, N.Y.)
114. Eleanor Leighton (Mishawakawa, Ind.)
119. Susie Scanlan (St. Paul, Minn.)
149. Francesca Bassa (Houston, Texas)
159. Lauren Willock (Astoria, N.Y.)