USA Fencing

(Moscow, Russia) – The U.S. Men’s and Women’s Foil Teams each fenced in the table of 16 on Saturday and posted the match win needed to advance to the quarter-final round on Sunday.

The U.S. women were up first with Lee Kiefer (Lexington, Ky.), Nicole Ross (New York City), Margaret Lu (Greenwich, Conn.) and Nzingha Prescod (Brooklyn, N.Y.) taking on Mexico two days after Prescod won bronze and Kiefer placed sixth in the individual event.

Kiefer scored half of Team USA’s touches for a total of 20 during the first eight bouts as the Americans took a 40-24 lead. Ross came in as anchor against Alely Hernandez (MEX) and closed the match at 45-27.

The U.S. women will fence Hungary in the quarter-finals on Sunday with the winner meeting either Japan or Italy, the reigning Senior World and Olympic Champions, in the semis.

In the men’s event, Team USA also earned a bye into the table of 16 which would feature a repeat of the final against Brazil at the Pan American Championships in April.

Following the U.S. athletes’ success on Thursday where Alex Massialas (San Francisco, Calif.) and Gerek Meinhardt (San Francisco, Calif.) won silver and bronze and Race Imboden (Brooklyn, N.Y.) placed ninth, the Americans entered the table of 16 as the favorites to win the match and, indeed, won all eight of their opening bouts. In the anchor leg, 2013 Senior World Champion Miles Chamley-Watson (New York City, N.Y.) took on Guilherme Toldo and closed out the match for Team USA, 45-27.

In Sunday’s quarter-final, the men’s squad will fence Italy in a rematch of their 2013 Senior World gold medal final. The winner will meet either Japan or France, the 2014 Senior World Champions, in the gold medal final.

Competition also was held on Saturday in the quarters and medal rounds for the men’s and women’s epee events. Team USA did not have an entrant as the U.S. women placed 11th in the early rounds on Friday and the U.S. men finished 17th.

Click here to view complete results.

Top eight and U.S. results for the epee events are as follows:

Men’s Team Epee Senior World Championships
1. Ukraine
2. Korea
3. Switzerland
4. Italy
5. France
6. Hungary
7. Russia
8. Germany

17. USA

Women’s Team Epee Senior World Championships
1. China
2. Romania
3. Ukraine
4. France
5. Hungary
6. Russia
7. Italy
8. Japan

11. USA