USA Fencing

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – After winning gold at the Sosnowiec Saber Junior World Cup in November, 2013 Junior World Team Champion Sage Palmedo (Portland, Ore.) entered the Udine Junior World Cup in Italy on Saturday as one of the top10 junior saber fencers in the world and a favorite to return to the podium.

Palmedo soon found herself in unknown territory as she made the cut by just one touch after finishing 2-4 in the pools.

Seeded 76^th in the direct elimination tables, Palmedo won her opening bout against Kateryna Melnyk (UKR), 15-10, and Tania Arrayales (MEX), 15-12, in the table of 64.

As one of seven U.S. fencers in the table of 32, Palmedo defeated Lea Krueger (GER), 15-11. In a rematch of their Division I semifinal at the December North American Cup, Palmedo fenced her 2013 Junior World teammate Francesca Russo (Wayne, N.J.) and took the win, 15-7.

Two of Palmedo’s teammates also advanced to the quarter-finals.

Gracie Stone (Chicago, Ill.) won gold at this event in 2013 and her top-eight result this weekend allowed the Princeton sophomore to shoot up to a No. 2 ranking in the U.S. junior women’s saber standings behind Palemdo as Stone attempts to qualify for her first Junior World Team.

Seeded 31^st out of the pools, Stone defeated Anastasia Ivanoff (Los Angeles, Calif.), 15-8, in the table of 64 and won her next two bouts by 15-11 scores over No. 2 seed Chiara Mormile (ITA) and Marie Lecoq (FRA). Stone fenced Russian Ekaterina Vorobyeva in the quarters, but lost the bout, 15-7.

Top-ranked U.S. cadet Riya Dave (Ardsley, N.Y.) placed seventh at her first Junior World Cup. Dave, who just missed qualifying for the 2013 Cadet Worlds, advanced to the table of 64 where she defeated Evgenia Karbolina (RUS), 15-7. After another 15-7 win over Valeria Bolshakova (RUS), Dave edged Lisa Freudenberger (GER), 15-14. In the quarter-finals, Dave lost to 2013 Junior World Team silver medalist Manon Brunet (FRA), 15-6.

Margaux Rifkiss (FRA) led Palmedo, 8-3, at the break of their quarter-final bout, but Palmedo fought back to take the win, 15-14, to secure her second Junior World Cup medal of the season.

Palmedo wouldn’t let either of her next two opponents get anywhere near that close as she dominated Brunet in the semis to win the bout, 15-5, and defeated Vorobyeva, 15-8, in the finals.

In the men’s epee competition, four U.S. fencers advanced to the table of 16.

Lewis Weiss (Houston, Texas), a 2013 Junior World Team member, earned this third straight top-16 finish on the Junior World Cup circuit with a ninth-place result. Ranked third after an undefeated run in the pools, Weiss earned a bye into the table of 64 where he defeated Maxime Baekelandt (BEL), 15-9. In the table of 32, Weiss won his bout against Masaru Yamada (JPN), 15-11, but lost in the table of 16 against Alexandre Pittet (SUI), 15-12.

A gold medalist at the Cadet European Cup in Chalons last month, Justin Yoo (La Verne, Calif.) earned his best result at a Junior World Cup with a 13^th place finish.  Yoo narrowly advanced out of the table of 128 after a 15-14 win against Alan Fardzinov (RUS) and won his next bout against Roland Tchata (FRA), 15-10. After a 15-6 win over Gianluca Casaro (ITA), Yoo lost to 2013 Senior World Team member Yuval Shalom Reilich (ISR), 15-9. Reilich went on to win god.

A two-time medalist on the North American Cup circuit in 2013, Justin Wan (North Hills, N.Y.) finished 15^th in Udine – the first top-16 international finish for the Columbia sophomore. Wan defeated Ryosuke Narita (JPN), 15-11, in the table of 128 and won his next two bouts by 15-6 scores over fourth seed Florian Maunz (GER) and Gianluca Casaro (ITA). Wan lost his final bout by two touches to eventual silver medalist Sandor Cho Taeun (HUN), 13-11.

Fencing at his first Junior World Cup, Noah Adamitis (Kirkville, N.Y.) entered the direct elimination tables as the 82^nd seed, but won three straight bouts to place 16^th. Adamitis defeated Francesco Lucci (ITA), 15-13, in the table of 128 and German Arne Richter (GER), 15-7, in the table of 64. Adamitis defeated Frederik Weber (SUI), 15-13, in the next round, but lost to Konstantin Nemtyrev (RUS), 15-10, in the table of 16.

Click here to view complete women’s saber results.

Click here to view complete men’s epee results.

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

Udine Women’s Saber Junior World Cup
1. Sage Palmedo (Portland, Ore.)
2. Ekaterina Vorobyeva (RUS)
3. Manon Brunet (FRA)
3. Camilla Fondi (ITA)
5. Rebecca Gargano (ITA)
6. Gracie Stone (Chicago, Ill.)
7. Riya Dave (Ardsley, N.Y.)
8. Margaux Rifkiss (FRA)

9. Sophie Keehan (Chandler, Ariz.)
10. Francesca Russo (Wayne, N.J.)
12. Lena Johnson (Peachtree City, Ga.)
29. Emma Keehan (Chandler, Ariz.)
42. Anastasia Ivanoff (Los Angeles, Calif.)
56. Allison Lee (Saddle River, N.J.)
57. Alexa Antipas (Stony Brook, N.Y.)
59. Tara Hassett (Beaverton, Ore.)
61. Sarah Merza (Wayne, N.J.)

Udine Men’s Epee Junior World Cup
1. Yuval Shalom Freilich (ISR)
2. Sandor Cho Taeun (HUN)
3. Gabriele Cimini (ITA)
3. Nelson Lopez Pourtier (FRA)
5. Daniel Berta (HUN)
6. Konstantin Nemtyrev (RUS)
7. Yulen Pereira (ESPN)
8. Alexandre Pittet (SUI)

9. Lewis Weiss (Houston, Texas)
13. Justin Yoo (La Verne, Calif.)
15. Justin Wan (North Hills, N.Y.)
16. Noah Adamitis (Kirkville, N.Y.)
26. Samuel Freiman (Woodlands, Texas)
30. Spencer Amann (Westminster, Colo.)
42. Ariel Simmons (Bellaire, Texas)
79. Gabriel Canaux (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
85. Alex House (Upton, Mass.)
89. Garrett McGrath (Maricopa, Ariz.)
99. Michael Popovici (Katy, Texas)
142. Samuel Koch (San Francisco, Calif.)