USA Fencing

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – London Olympian Lee Kiefer (Lexington, Ky.) finished her final year of junior eligibility with a gold medal in women’s foil on Monday at the Junior World Championships.

The win is the eighth Junior World medal for Kiefer who took silver in 2011, bronze the last two years and holds four team medals at this event.

Kiefer’s opening bout in the table of 32 pitted her against Alanna Goldie (CAN) in a rematch from the NCAA semifinals last month. Kiefer won this bout as well as she capitalized on a 9-4 lead after the second period and outtouched the Canadian, 6-2, for a 15-6 total.

In the table of 16, Kiefer faced two-time Cadet World medalist Erica Cipressa (ITA) – the only fencer who beat Kiefer in the pools on Saturday. Kiefer held the upper hand this time, though, as she kept the Italian at bay with a 5-1 lead after the first period that grew to 15-6 by the end of the bout.

Kiefer was dominant again in the quarter-finals where she took an early lead against Viktoria Alexeeva (RUS) and never looked back, outscoring her opponent, 15-10.

In the semifinals, Kiefer trailed Svetlana Tripapina (RUS), 3-1, early in the first period, but quickly rebounded to take 14 of the next 18 touches to win the bout, 15-7.

Kiefer’s next opponent, Eleanor Harvey (CAN) upset the reigning Junior World Champion, Camilla Mancini (ITA), and held her own against Kiefer in the gold medal final where both athletes scored four touches each in the first minute.

Kiefer dominated the second period where she scored eight straight to take a commanding lead at 12-4. Although Harvey came back in the final minute, Kiefer closed the bout out with a 15-8 victory.

A three-time Junior World medalist in the team event, Jackie Dubrovich (Riverdale, N.J.) came to Plovdiv with visions of her first individual podium.

Dubrovich began the table of 32 as the 11^th seed, but lost her bout to Yana Alborova (RUS).

In the men’s saber competition, 2012 Cadet World medalist Andrew Mackiewicz (Westwood, Mass.) fell one bout short of winning a junior medal.

Mackiewicz won his table of 32 bout, 15-11, against Rouven Redwanz (GER) and defeated Jonghyun Lee (KOR) by the same score in the 16.

In the quarter-finals, Mackiewicz built an 8-5 lead against World No. 1 Luca Curatoli (ITA) after the first break. The Italian caught up to Mackiewicz to tie the bout at 11, however, and went on to win the bout, 15-12.

Two-time Junior World Team member, Geoffrey Loss (Laguna Beach, Calif.) also advanced to the second day of competition. Sangmin Oh (KOR) took an 11-8 lead in the second period of their table of 32 bout, but Loss countered with seven straight touches for a 15-8 win.

Loss drew second seeded Leonardo Affede (ITA) in the table of 16 and lost the bout, 15-8.

Preliminary rounds also were held on Sunday for the junior men’s and women’s epee events.

The women’s squad advanced two fencers to the table of 32: Anna Van Brummen (Houston, Texas) and Amanda Sirico (Bowie, Md.)

Van Brummen went undefeated in the pools to claim the No. 2 position in the direct elimination rounds where she defeated Amandine Ischer (SUI), 15-12.

Sirico won her table of 128 bout against Eva Helena Zorman (SVK), 15-11, and edged Chengzi Xu (CHN) to qualify for the second day.

Two-time Junior World Team member Nina Van Loon (Boulder, Colo.) finished the pools at 4-2 and defeated Rita Abou Jaoudeh (LIB), 15-8, in the 128.

Van Loon was eliminated after a 15-9 loss to Lizaveta Khlystunova (BLR).

Just two days after winning silver in the cadet event, Justin Yoo (La Verne, Calif.) returned to the strip to fence his first Junior Worlds.

Yoo split the pools at 3-3 and won his first bout against Alexandre Camargo (ITA), 15-11. He went on to qualify for the table of 32 after a 15-7 video against Dario Ibarra (EGY).

Both of Yoo’s teammates were eliminated in the preliminary rounds.

Joshua Cole (Chappaqua, N.Y.) was eliminated in the table of 128 after a 15-2 loss to Linus Islas Flygare (SWE) and a 3-3 result in the pools.

Two-time Junior World Team member Lewis Weiss (Houston, Texas) went 4-2 in the pools and had a strong first DE bout against Michael Lozano (VEN) whom he defeated, 15-3, in the table of 128.

Weiss lost his bid to get into the table of 32 with a 15-6 loss to Flavio Giannotte (ITA).

For complete results, visit www.fencingworldwide.com.

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

Junior Women’s Foil World Championships
1. Lee Kiefer (Lexington, Ky.)
2. Eleanor Harvey (CAN)
3. Karin MIyawaki (JPN)
5. Pauline Ranvier (FRA)
6. Camila Mancini (ITA)
7. Viktoria Alexeeva (RUS)
8. Anna Szymczak (POL)

20. Jackie Dubrovich (Riverdale, N.J.)
38. Sabrina Massialas (San Francisco, Calif.)

Men’s Saber Junior World Championships
1. Luca Curatoli (ITA)
2. Dmitriy Danilenko (RUS)
3. Tom Seitz (FRA)
3. Alexander Trushakov (RUS)
5. Leonardo Affede (ITA)
6. Andrew Mackiewicz (Westwood, Mass.)
7. Artsiom Novikau (BLR)
8. Hector Florencia (MEX)

13. Geoffrey Loss (Laguna Beach, Calif.)
34. Eli Dershwitz (Sherborn, Mass.)