Mariel Zagunis
Event: Fencing - Women's Saber
Height: 5' 8"
Birthdate: March 3, 1985
Birthplace: Portland, Ore.
Hometown: Beaverton, Ore.
Current Residence: Beaverton, Ore.
Coach: Ed Korfanty
Personal:
Mariel Leigh Zagunis won two medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. She took home her second straight gold medal in the Individual Sabre event and helped lead the women's team to a bronze medal in the Team Sabre event....Zagunis made history at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece becoming the first U.S. fencer in 100 years to win an Olympic gold medal...She is also in the history books as the first Olympic gold medalist for women's saber, which made its Olympic debut at the 2004 Olympic Games ...Her Olympic accomplishment was all the more impressive when you consider that she was originally a replacement athlete for the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team...Mariel is the daughter of Robert and Cathy Zagunis who were both members of the 1976 U.S. Olympic Team for Rowing and competed at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, Quebec, Canada...Mariel has two brothers, Marten (24) and Merrick (19)...Both of her brothers fence...Marten was on the Penn State University fencing team...Merrick also played varsity tennis at Valley Catholic High School...Mariel graduated from Valley Catholic High School in Beaverton, Ore...She was a member of the school's varsity soccer team for three years (freshman through junior year)...She went on to attend the University of Notre Dame where she is majoring in Anthropology...She has put school on hold as she prepares for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China...She fenced on the varsity level for two seasons (2004-05 and 2005-06), winning the NCAA Individual Championship title in 2006 and the NCAA Team Championship title in 2005...When not fencing, Mariel enjoys playing and watching tennis, relaxing bike rides, playing soccer, writing letters to friends, Dance Dance Revolution, anything that has to do with the outdoors, including volunteering in environmental preservation activities...She listens to all types of music, though she admits that she is horrible with technology and hasn't charged her i-Pod in weeks...Her favorite movies include Tommy Boy, Finding Nemo, Moulin Rouge, Dumb and Dumber, Ace Ventura,and Labryinth...Her favorite television shows include, America's Funniest Home Videos, Dirty Jobs, Scrubs, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Soup...Mariel says that her parents are her role models as "they have been through so much (good and bad) in their lives and have dedicated so much to their children that has enabled us to achieve greatness on many different levels. They have made me the person I am today and I never could have learned so much about life or how to work as hard as I do from any other two people. Through them I have been able to grow and understand what is truly important in life and how to reach any goal I set for myself. No matter how daunting a task may be, I know my family will always be there to support me and help me through it."...Prides herself on her ability to persevere...Youngest fencer to win a gold medal at a World Championships at age 15 in 2000...Only fencer to win four World Championship titles in one season...Member of first U.S. team to win a medal in the Team Event at a World Championships or Olympic Games...First U.S. fencer to have four World Championship gold medals...Secret/U.S. Women's Sports Foundation Oregon Athlete of the Year in 2002...USOC Female Athlete of the Month for April 2001...Appeared in Sports Illustrated Faces in the Crowd in May 7, 2001 issue.
Competition Record:
2008- Olympic Games in Beijing, China: Gold Medal in Individual Sabre and Bronze medal in Team Sabre event
2008 - Member of the U.S. Olympic Team, Beijing, China
2008 - Grand Prix in Las Vegas, Nev., 33rd Place Individual and Gold Medal Team
2008 - U.S. National Championships, Bronze Medal, Individual
2008 - World Cup in Havana, Cuba, Silver Medal Individual
2008 - Grand Prix in Tianjin, China, Bronze Medal Individual
2008 - Grand Prix in Lamezia Terme, Italy, 10th Place Individual and Gold Medal Team
2008 - Grand Prix in London, Great Britain, Silver Medal Individual
2008 - Grand Prix in Orleans, France, 33rd Place Individual and Gold Medal Team
2008 - Grand Prix in V. Laganes and Madrid, Spain, Bronze Medal Individual
2008 - Grand Prix in Budapest, Hungary, 17th Place Individual
2008 - Grand Prix in Alger, Algeria, Fifth Place Individual and Gold Medal Team
2008 - Grand Prix in Klagenfurt, Austria, Fifth Place Individual
2007 - Pan American Championships in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Bronze Medal Individual and Gold Medal Team
2007 - Grand Prix in Las Vegas, Nev., Fifth Place Individual and Gold Medal Team
2007 - World Cup in Havana, Cuba, Gold Medal
2007 - Grand Prix World Cup in Tianjin, China, Fifth, Place Individual and Bronze Medal Team
2007 - World Cup in Hanoi, Vietnam, Bronze Medal Individual and Bronze Medal Team
2007 - World Cup in Algers, Algeria, Gold Medal
2007 - Grand Prix World Cup in Foggia, Italy, Bronze Medal
2007 - World Cup in Budapest, Hungary, Silver Medal Team
2007 - World Cup in Orleans, France, 9th Place
2007 - World Cup in London, Great Britain, Gold Medal
2006 - Grand Prix World Cup in Las Vegas, Nev., Gold Medal
2006 - World Cup in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Bronze Medal
2006 - World Cup in Klagenfurt, Austria, Bronze Medal
2006 - Grand Prix World Cup in Hanoi, Vietnam, 10th Place
2006 - World Cup in Lamezia, Italy, 10th Place
2006 - Grand Prix World Cup in Budapest, Hungary, Silver Medal
2006 - World Cup in Orleans, France, Silver Medal
2006 - FIE Overall World Cup Champion
2006 - NCAA Champion
2005 - NCAA Team Champions
2005 - World Championships in Leipzig, Germany, Gold Medal Team
2005 - World Junior Championships in Linz, Austria, Gold Medal Individual and Gold Medal Team
2004 - Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, Gold Medal Individual
