USA Fencing

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – Paralympians Ryan Estep (Florence, Miss.) and Curtis Lovejoy (College Park, Ga.) won the first two medals of the season for the U.S. Wheelchair Fencing Team on July 5 and 6 in Poland.

Estep, a London Paralympian who finished seventh at the 2011 Wheelchair World, won silver in the Category B men’s epee competition on July 5.

After finishing 3-2 in the pools, Estep entered the table of 32 as the 10^th seed.

Estep earned a bye into the table of 16 where he defeated Marcin Karbownik (POL), 15-10, and followed with a 15-7 victory over Dmytro Mazurov (UKR) in the quarter-finals.

In the semis, Estep edged 2012 Paralympic Champion Grzegorz Pluta (POL), 15-14, to advance to the World Cup finals for the first time in his career.

Estep fell one touch short of winning gold when Alexander Kuzyukov (RUS) won the bout, 15-14.

A 2000 Paralympian, Lovejoy entered the Warsaw event in preparation for his first World Championships since winning his Category C title in 2006.

Lovejoy came out of the pools on July 6 with a 4-0 record and the top seed in the table of 16.

With a bye into the quarter-finals, Lovejoy went on to outscore 2011 Wheelchair World medalist Adam Michalowski (POL), 15-8, to secure a podium finish.

Lovejoy lost his semifinal bout to 2011 Wheelchair World medalist Oleksii Sudiiev (UKR), 15-9, and finished the day with a bronze medal.

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

Men’s Category B Epee
1. Alexander Kuzyukov (RUS)
2. Ryan Estep (Florence, Miss.)
3. Mikalai Bezyazychny (BLR)
3. Grzegorz Pluta (POL)
5. Marc Andre Cratere (FRA)
6. Jovane Guissone (BRA)
7. Maxime Valet (FRA)
8. Dmytro Mazurov (UKR)

17. Joey Brinson (Florence, Miss.)
26. Joshua Russell (Mendenhall, Miss.)

Men’s Category C Epee
1. Nikolay Lukyanov
2. Kanstantsin Kavaliou (BLR)
3. William Russo (ITA)
3. Oleksii Sundiiev (UKR)
5. Sergey Barinov (RUS)
6. Curtis Lovejoy (College Park, Ga.)
7. Alexandr Logutenko (RUS)
8. Adam Michalowski (POL)

Men’s Category C Foil
1. Alekandr Logutenko (RUS)
2. Oleksii Sudiiev (UKR)
3. Sergey Barinov (RUS)
3. Curtis Lovejoy (College Park, Md.)
5. Nikolay Lukyanov (RUS)
6. William Russo (ITA)
7. Uladzimir Sidarau (BLR)
8. Adam Michalowski (POL)

Women's Category A Foil
1. Chui Yee Yu (HKG)
2. Zsuzsanna (HUN)
3. Pui Shan Fan (HKG)
3. Veronika Juhasz (HUN)
5. Yulia Efimova (RUS)
6. Evgeniya Sycheva (RUS)
7. Nataliia Morkvych (UKR)
8. Olga Irneva (RUS)

17. Catherine Thomas (Atlanta, Ga.)

Men's Category A Saber
1. Romain Noble (FRA)
2. Radoslaw Stanczuk (POL)
3. Andrii Demchuk (UKR)
3. Vadym Tsedryk (UKR)
5. Wing Kin Chan (HKG)
6. Ludovic Lemoine (FRA)
7. Meng Chai Cheong (HKG)
8. Stefan Makowski (POL)

31. Leo Curtis (Rainier, Ore.)

Men’s Team Saber
1. France
2. Poland
3. Russia
4. Hong Kong
5. Malaysia
6. USA
7. Germany
7. Ukraine

Women’s Open Saber
1. Renata Burdon (POL)
2. Marta Fidrych (POL)
3. Yevheniia Breus (UKR)
3. Ionela Andreea Mogos (ITA)
5. Nataliia Morkvych (UKR)
7. Eva Hajmasi (HUN)
7. Alibina Kuramshina (RUS)
8. Cat Bouwkamp (Fishers, Ind.)