USA Fencing

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – The U.S. Women’s Epee Team earned its best finish since taking bronze at the 2012 Olympic Games on Sunday when Team USA finish fourth at the first World Cup of the new season in Doha, Qatar.

London Olympians Courtney and Kelley Hurley (San Antonio, Texas) were joined by two-time Junior World team medalist and Princeton junior Katharine Holmes (Washington, D.C.) and 2013 Cadet World Team member Amanda Sirico (Bowie, Md.) in the team competition.

The Americans opened the competition with a table of 16 match against France – a team that the United States lost to at the last two Senior World Championships.

Team USA led France, 12-10, after the first four bouts, but Courtney Hurley set the tone for the remainder of the bouts when she outscored 2013 Junior World silver medalist Auriane Mallo, 9-1, to give Team USA a 21-11 lead.

Holmes and Kelley Hurley won the next two bouts and Courtney closed the match with a 5-1 win over 2010 Junior World medalist Lauren Rembi and a final score of 45-22.

In the quarter-finals, Team USA met Russia – the reigning World Champions – for the first time since the Americans upset Russia in the bronze medal final of the London Games.

Much like in London, the match came down to the final touch and anchor Courtney Hurley came through again for a 33-32 victory.

The Americans kept the next bout against Romania, the 2013 Senior World bronze medalists, low-scoring as well, but Romania won by a touch, 25-24, and went on to take gold.

In the bronze medal final against Hungary, Team USA kept the match close in the early bouts, but Hungary took the victory, 45-33.

In the individual event, Courtney Hurley earned Team USA’s top result with a 20^th place finish.

Hurley fenced back-to-back Russians in her direct elimination bouts. After doubling out to win her table of 64 bout against Valentina Lushina, 15-14, in the table of 64, Hurley lost to two-time reigning Junior World Champion Tatiana Gudkova, 15-7.

In the previous round Gudkova also defeated Holmes. Although Holmes kept the score within a touch through the first two periods, Gudkova went on a five-touch run in the final 90 seconds to finish the bout, 15-9.

Northwestern senior Dina Bazarbayeva (Houston, Texas) advanced to the table of 64 at her first World Cup tournament. Bazarbayeva drew world No. 1 Ana Maria Branza (ROU) and finished 63^rd after dropping the bout, 15-5.

Click here to view complete individual results.

Click here to view complete team results.

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

Doha Team Epee World Cup
1. Romania
2. China
3. Hungary
4. USA
5. Russia
6. Sweden
7. Ukraine
8. Estonia

Doha Individual Epee World Cup
1. Tiffany Geroudet (SUI)
2. Julia Beljajeva (EST)
3. Julia Revesz (HUN)
3. Monika Sozanska (GER)
5. Ana Maria Branza (ROU)
6. Rossella Fiamingo (ITA)
7. Yana Shemyakina (UKR)
8. Beate Christmann (GER)

20. Courtney Hurley (San Antonio, Texas)
48. Katharine Holmes (Washington, D.C.)
63. Dina Bazarbayeva (Houston, Texas)
72. Kelley Hurley (San Antonio, Texas)
74. Amanda Sirico (Bowie, Md.)