USA Fencing

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – In a demonstration of perseverance, Jason Pryor (South Euclid, Ohio) rebounded from a day that could have been one of his worst on the senior international circuit, to upset the World No. 1 and earn his first top-32 Grand Prix result of the season.

Pryor, a two-time Senior World Team member, lost four pool bouts and barely advanced to the preliminary tables on Friday after posting a 2-4 record.

In the prelim 128, Pryor defeated Dmitriy Adaikin (KAZ), 15-11, to advance to the prelim 64 where he won his bout against Naoyuki Kitamura (JPN), 15-13.

While Pryor would become the only U.S. fencer to qualify for the second day, his shaky start to the competition in the pool rounds would leave the American with a 64th seed and an opening bout on Saturday against World No. 1 Gauthier Grumier (FRA).

Out of 29 touches scored in three periods, it was just five singles that would make the difference for Pryor as he took on the four-time World Team Champion.

With Grumier up, 4-3, Pryor tied the bout at four and, after picking up a double, ended the period with another single and a 6-5 lead. Grumier tied the bout at seven in the second, but Pryor answered with a touch to regain the lead at 8-7. After three straight doubles, Grumier picked up a touch as the clock wore down to tie the bout at 11. Both athletes scored off two doubles to open the third with Pryor taking a single to pull away with a 14-13 lead. Although Grumier scored to tie the bout at 14, Pryor closed out the win, 15-14.

Pryor went on to fence a close bout in the table of 32, but fell short of another victory with a 15-13 loss to Vadim Anokhin (RUS) who went on to win the gold – a career-best finish for the Russian.

Pryor’s 32nd place finish allowed him to retain not only the top position in the USA Fencing National Team Point Standings, but also to move into the No. 2 position in the Americas within the international Adjusted Olympic Rankings, passing teammate Ben Bratton (New York City, N.Y.) and sitting behind 2015 Pan Am Championships silver medalist Maxime Brinck-Croteau (CAN).

On Sunday, 2012 Olympic team medalists Kelley and Courtney Hurley (San Antonio, Texas) each advanced to the table of 64.

Kelley Hurley came into the tournament exempt from the pool rounds, but was eliminated in the 64 by Jelena Bublevska (LAT), 15-11.

Courtney Hurley went 5-1 in the pool rounds on Saturday to advance directly to the table of 64, but lost her bout to 2009 Senior World Team Champion Francesca Quondamcarlo (ITA), 15-13.

Doha Men’s Individual Epee Grand Prix
1. Vadim Anokhin (RUS)
2. Fabian Kauter (SUI)
3. Yannick Borel (FRA)
3. Bas Verwijlen (NED)
5. Daniel Jerent (FRA)
6. Sten Prinits (EST)
7. Lorenzo Buzzi (ITA)
8. Inochi Ito (ITA)

32. Jason Pryor (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
71. Yeisser Ramirez (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
77. Ben Bratton (New York City, N.Y.)
126. Kevin Mo (Irvine, Calif.)
141. Lewis Weiss (Houston, Texas)
145. Kai-Moritz Keller (Medford, Mass.)
148. Adam Rodney (New York City, N.Y.)
157. Alen Hadzic (New York City, N.Y.)
169. Samuel Freiman (Woodlands, Texas)

Doha Women’s Epee Grand Prix
1. Mara Navarria (ITA)
2. Britta Heidemann (GER)
3. Tatiana Logunova (RUS)
3. Yana Zvereva (RUS)
5. Anqi Xu (CHN)
6. Erika Kirpu (EST)
7. Imke Duplitzer (GER)
8. Man Wai Vivian Kong (KOR)

38. Kelley Hurley (San Antonio, Texas)
42. Courtney Hurley (San Antonio, Texas)
82. Katharine Holmes (Washington, D.C.)
100. Amanda Sirico (Bowie, Md.)
102. Victoria Mo (Irvine, Calif.)
109. Anna van Brummen (Houston, Texas)
114. Azaline Dunlap-Smith (Nottingham, N.H.)
121. Katarzyna Trzopek (Pacifica, Calif.)