USA Fencing

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – The U.S. Women’s Epee Team advanced to the medal rounds for the third time this season at the Rio de Janeiro World Cup in Brazil on Sunday.

The U.S. team of Kelley Hurley (San Antonio, Texas), Courtney Hurley (San Antonio, Texas), Katharine Holmes (Washington, D.C.) and Rebecca Chimahusky (Wheaton, Md.) earned a bye into the table of 16 where the squad defeated Germany, 45-36.

After a 45-31 win over Hungary in the quarter-finals, Team USA lost the semifinal match against China, the 2012 Olympic Champions, by a score of 23-22.

In the bronze medal final, Team USA lost to Italy, 45-34, and finished in fourth place.

On Saturday, four U.S. fencers advanced to the table of 64 in the individual competition.

London Olympic team medalist Courtney Hurley earned Team USA’s best finish with a 20^th place result.

Seeded 13^th in the table of 64, Hurley defeated teammate Natalie Vie (Phoenix, Ariz.), 15-11, to advance to the table of 32 where she lost to 2012 Olympic Champion Yana Shemyakina (UKR), 5-4.

Holmes and London Olympic team medalist Kelley Hurley both came one step closer to qualifyin g for the U.S. team that will compete at the Senior World Championships in July.

With one qualifying event remaining, Holmes retained her No. 3 U.S. ranking and Kelley Hurley remains No. 1 after finishing 41^st and 42^nd, respectively.

Both athletes advanced through the pools and preliminary rounds to the table of 64 where Holmes lost to Ricarda Multerer (GER), 12-9, and Kelley Hurley lost to Bianca Del Carretto (ITA), 14-13.

Team USA will travel from Brazil to Cuba this week for the final event of the World Cup season. The Havana Grand Prix also will serve as the final selection tournament for the Senior World Team. Kelley and Courtney Hurley are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 respectively while Holmes and two-time Junior World medalist Anna Van Brummen (Houston, Texas) are third and fourth with the top four athletes in the rankings at the conclusion of the Havana tournament being named to the Senior World squad.

Click here to view complete results.

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

Rio de Janeiro Individual World Cup
1. Lauren Rembi (FRA)
2. Emese Szasz (HUN)
3. Yujie Sun (CHN)
3. Violetta Kolobova (RUS)
5. Ana Maria (ROU)
6. Mara Navarria (ITA)
7. Jialu Hao (CHN)
8. Giulia Rizzi (ITA)

20. Courtney Hurley (San Antonio, Texas)
41. Katharine Holmes (Washington, D.C.)
52. Kelley Hurley (San Antonio, Texas)
56. Natalie Vie (Phoenix, Ariz.)
71. Amanda Sirico (Washington, D.C.)
74. Courtney Dumas (Shaker Heights, Ohio)
77. Rebecca Chimahusky (Wheaton, Md.)
78. Francesca Bassa (Houston, Texas)
84. Lauren Willock (Astoria, N.Y.)
86. Madeline Antekeier (Houston, Texas)
107. Victoria Mo

Rio de Janeiro Team Epee World Cup
1. France
2. China
3. Italy
4. USA
5. Poland
6. Korea
7. Russia
8. Hungary