USA Fencing

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – The U.S. Men’s Epee Team earned its best finish of the season with a fifth-place result at the Vancouver World Cup on Sunday.

Ben Bratton (New York, N.Y.), a 2012 Senior World Team Champion, and 2014 Senior World Team members Andras Horanyi (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Jimmy Moody (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Jason Pryor (Colorado Springs, Colo.) came into the tournament as the event’s 13th seed and fenced Hong Kong in the table of 32.

With Hong Kong up, 34-32, after eight bouts, Horanyi outscored Ka Ming Leung, 13-7, in the anchor bout for a 45-41 victory.

In the table of 16, Team USA fenced fourth-seeded Russia and it would be the setup bout that would be the most critical for the Americans. Coming off a bout in which Pryor outscored Vadim Anokhin, 2-0, to give Team USA a 29-27 lead, Bratton began a fast-paced period against 2013 Senior World bronze medalist Pavel Sukhov. Bratton scored 10 touches against Sukhov and Team USA’s lead grew to 39-36. Horanyi returned as anchor against 2009 Senior World Champion Anton Avdeev and finished Team USA’s match, 43-42.

Although Team USA held a 30-25 lead after the first two rotations of the quarter-finals against Ukraine, the 2013 Senior World silver medalists, the Americans struggled in the final three bouts and lost the match, 39-38.

Team USA fenced Spain in the 5th – 8th place table and won six of the first eight bouts. Moody came in for Horanyi and anchored Team USA to a 45-40 win.

In the earlier rounds, Korea, the 2014 Senior World silver medalist team, was knocked out by Hungary and the loss meant that Team USA would need to defeat the second seeded squad to earn a fifth place result. The Americans won or tied six of the first eight bouts to take a 40-34 lead and Moody closed the match, 40-45.

In the individual event on Saturday, Bratton and teammates Alex Tsinis (Little Neck, N.Y.) a 2013 Senior World Team member, and Lewis Weiss (Houston, Texas), a two-time Junior World Team member, each advanced to the table of 64 after the pools and preliminary rounds which were held on Friday.

Tsinis drew 2011 Senior World Champion Paolo Pizzo (ITA) in his opening bout of the second day of competition. Pizzo lost the bout, 15-10, and Tsinis finished 57th overall.

Bratton fenced 2013 Senior World silver medalist Kyoungdoo Park (KOR) and placed 62nd after a 13-7 loss.

Weiss came into the table as the 64th seed and lost his first bout to six-time Senior World medalist Gauthier Grumier (FRA), 15-10. Weiss finished 64th after his loss to the World No. 1.

Click here to view complete results.

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

Vancouver Individual Epee World Cup
1. Ronan Gustin (FRA)
2. Pavel Pitra (CZE)
3. Jinsun Jung (KOR)
3. Ruben Limardo Gascon (VEN)
5. Anton Avdeev (RUS)
6. Kazuyasu Minobe (JPN).
7. Vadim Anokhin (RUS)
8. Maksym Khvorost (UKR)

57. Alex Tsinis (Little Neck, N.Y.)
62. Ben Bratton (New York, N.Y.)
64. Lewis Weiss (Houston, Texas)
73. Jimmy Moody (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
74. Jason Pryor (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
96. Benji Ungar (Bronx, N.Y.)
102. Andras Horanyi (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
104. Justin Yoo (La Verne, Calif.)
126. Ariel Simmons (Bellaire, Texas)
129. Yeisser Ramirez (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
133. Adam Maczik (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
154. James Kaull (New York, N.Y.)
 

Vancouver Team Epee World Cup
1. Switzerland
2. Ukraine
3. France
4. Hungary
5. USA
6. Korea
7. Italy
8. Spain