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Saturday, September 23
U.S. women finish fourth in team foil


SYDNEY, Australia -- It was a tough way for the U.S. women's fencers to again be denied a medal.

The foil team, bidding to become the first U.S. women's squad to win a fencing medal, lost a thrilling bronze medal match 45-42 to Germany on Saturday. The final point was awarded when Ann Marsh was penalized for covering her target on the last touch by Germany's Rita Koenig.

"That penalty is not what caused us to lose," Marsh said. "The referees do call the bouts closer in the finals -- everyone knows that. I'm not going to be a bad sport and say that's why we lost."

Italy -- the world champion, which beat the United States 45-38 in the semifinals -- knocked off Poland 45-36 to win the gold.

The Germans, who had looked somewhat disorganized at early stages of the competition, brought it all together for their bronze medal playoff against the Americans, who reached the semifinals after a surprise victory against highly-rated Hungary.

"The team was working a lot more harmoniously," said Sabine Bau. "It really paid off tonight."

It was doctor dueling doctor in the second bout when Bau, a physician, faced Marsh, who specializes in emergency medicine.

But resuscitating her team was beyond even the powers of Marsh as she took on Rita Koenig in the final bout, with the Americans trailing 36-40.

"We were the underdogs," said Marsh, whose boisterous fan club has both amused and annoyed a large European contingent at Sydney's Exhibition Centre by yelling "Go, Go, Go," and leaping up for high fives.

"I brought it back as far as I could," said Marsh. "We just fell a little short."

Sisters Iris and Felicia Zimmermann, along with Marsh, upset Hungary in the quarterfinals Saturday morning to earn the United States its first medal-round appearance.

"I'm upset, and that's a good thing," Felicia Zimmermann said. "United States fencing has come a long way. We need to keep getting better and better."

The fifth-seeded Americans came from 10 touches down to beat Hungary, the fourth seed.


 


   
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