USA Fencing

(Kazan, Russia) – Mariel Zagunis (Beaverton, Ore.), the most decorated fencer in U.S. history, secured her fifth individual Senior World medal on Friday when she won four straight bouts to advance to the semifinals against Yana Egorian (RUS) which will be held at 7:20 p.m. local time (11:20 a.m. Eastern).

Semifinals and finals will be streamed live on www.universalsports.com/watch-live/ for authenticated users who have cable subscriptions that include the Universal Sports Network. The broadcast will be televised on Friday night from 11 p.m. – 1 a.m. Eastern with an encore presentation at 8 a.m. Eastern on Saturday.

Check with your cable provider regarding availability of the Universal Sports Network in your area.

Ranked second in the world, two-time Olympic Champion Zagunis will fence for a chance at her third individual Senior World title against 20-year-old Egorian who won silver in the team competition at the 2013 Senior Worlds and is currently ranked 19th in the world. The two have fenced just once previously with Zagunis winning their bout at the Bolzano World Cup earlier this season, 15-8.

The other semifinal will be a repeat of last year’s gold medal bout between two-time Olympic medalist Olga Kharlan (UKR) and two-time Senior World Team Champion Ekaterina Dyachenko (RUS) who took silver behind Kharlan in the individual event last year.

In the earlier rounds, Zagunis defeated Hin Wai Lam (HKG), 15-4, in the table of 64 and Kata Varhelyi (HUN), 15-7, in the 32.

Zagunis won her next two bouts by 15-11 scores over two-time Senior World medalist Cecilia Berder (FRA) and 2003 Senior World medalist Aleksandra Socha (POL) to qualify for the semis.

In other bouts, London Olympian Dagmara Wozniak (Avenel, N.J.) earned a career-high sixth place result and two-time Senior World Team member Eliza Stone (Chicago, Ill.) improved on her 19th place finish in 2013 with a 10th place result this year. Ibtihaj Muhammad (Maplewood, N.J.) was eliminated in the table of 32.