USA Fencing

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – Sage Palmedo (Portland, Ore.) tightened her grip on the No. 1 junior world ranking on Saturday when she won gold at the San Jose Saber Junior World Cup in Costa Rica.

Palmedo, who is seeking to become the first U.S. fencer to win an Overall Junior World Cup title since 2010, led a three-medal finish for Team USA in the individual competition as her teammates Christina Boitano (Hillsboro, Ore.) and Chloe Fox-Gitomer (Portland, Ore.) each won bronze.

Competing with a delegation of 11 fencers, Team USA qualified 10 athletes for the table of 16.

Palmedo fenced Vanessa Infante (MEX), the No. 3-ranked junior saber fencer in the world, in the 16 and won the bout, 15-5. Palmedo went on to take a 15-8 victory in the quarters over 2014 Cadet World Team member Sarah Merza (Wayne, N.J.).

Although this was the first Junior World Cup for Fox-Gitomer and Boitano’s first outside the United States, both cadet fencers stepped up with key wins.

Fox-Gitomer defeated Canadian Rachel Lamarre, 15-9, in the table of 16 and outtouched 2014 Cadet World Team member Violet Michel (Cambridge, Mass.), 15-14, in the quarter-finals.

Boitano edged Tania Arrayales (MEX), 15-14, in the 16 and won her quarter-final bout against teammate Marta Lasota (Silver Springs, Md.), 15-10.

Lena Johnson (Peachtree City, Ga.), a 2013 Cadet World Team member, also advanced to the quarters, but lost her bout to 2014 Pan American Junior bronze medalist Julieta Toledo (MEX), 15-9, and finished in sixth place.

In the semifinals, Palmedo held Boitano to single digits and won the bout, 15-5. Fox-Gitomer narrowly missed the gold medal round after a 15-13 loss to Toledo.

Fencing Toledo for the first time on the international circuit, Palmedo dominated the bout for a 15-4 victory.

Palmedo, Fox-Gitomer and Michel fenced together in the team competition on Sunday.

Team USA earned a bye into the semis where the trio defeated Japan, 45-23.

In the gold medal final, the young American team lost to a Mexican squad that was led by two fencers who are ranked among the top eight in the world.

San Jose Individual Saber Junior World Cup
1. Sage Palmedo (Portland, Ore.)
2. Julieta Toledo (MEX)
3. Christina Boitano (Hillsboro, Ore.)
3. Chloe Fox-Gitomer (Portland, Ore.)
5. Sarah Merza (Wayne, N.J.)
6. Lena Johnson (Peachtree City, Ga.)
7. Violet Michel (Cambridge, Mass.)
8. Marta Lasota (Silver Spring, Md.)

10. Maia Chamberlain (Menlo Park, Calif.)
15. Jessica Whang (Westfield, N.J.)
16. Elizabeth Tartakovsky (Livingston, N.J.)
18. Rachel Aho (Wellesley, Mass.)

San Jose Team Saber Junior World Cup
1. Mexico
2. USA
3. Japan
4. Canada
5. Costa Rica