U.S. Fencing’s Women’s Saber Team Dominates Las Vegas Grand Prix to Take Gold and Solidify #1 Ranking for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China

For Immediate Release

June 21, 2008

LAS VEGAS, Nev.- The U.S. Fencing Association's women's saber team of Becca Ward (Portland, Ore.), Sada Jacobson (Dunwoody, Ga.), Mariel Zagunis (Portland, Ore./Beaverton, Ore.) and replacement athlete Dagmara Wozniak (Avenel, N.J.) steam-rolled through the competition today to win the gold medal in the team event of the 2008 Las Vegas Grand Prix at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nev.  With today's performance today in this final Grand Prix event prior to the 2008 Olympic Games, the U.S. solidified its ranking as the number one team in the world and left no question that they will be the gold medal favorite in Beijing, China.

The U.S. defeated France 45-35 in the final and China 45-37 in the semifinals to secure the title.  China took the bronze medal by defeating Russia 45-44 in the bronze medal match.

For Ward it was her second gold medal in as many days as she won gold in the individual gold in competition yesterday.

"I'm pretty happy," said Ward.  "It's always great to win as a team.  We're pumped!  It's our last Grand Prix team event before the Olympics so we're pretty psyched!  We were all fencing pretty well today.  I'm really happy with how our team is shaping up."

The two individual 2004 Olympic medalists for the U.S. Jacobson (bronze) and Zagunis (gold) both made early exits in yesterday's individual event in the quarterfinals and first round respectively, but were able to combine forces with Ward today to capture the gold medal today.  Both are also looking forward to the Olympic debut of the women's saber team event this August in Beijing.

"It feels great," said Jacobson.  "I think that we were all just fencing great and it's really fun to be a part of this team because I'm fencing with the best fencers in the world.  I like the team event the best because I think it's the most fun.  I'm just really looking forward to us showing what we can do in Beijing."

Zagunis added, "I feel like today hopefully my fencing made up for what I did yesterday.  Today I definitely felt more on.  Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose; yesterday I lost, but today we won and it feels great.  I'm looking forward to Beijing; it's going to be a great time."

Also seeing action today were the preliminary pool athletes for the Men's Saber Grand Prix individual competition and the Women's Foil World Cup.  For complete results from today's competition, please visit www.prisedefer.com.  Tomorrow the top 64 athletes in both disciplines will go through the bracketed event concluding with the semifinal and final bouts at 6:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time.  All competition is taking place at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino and admission is free.  The competition is in the Ballroom located in the Exhibition Center at the base of the Island Tower.

The 2008 U.S. Olympic Team for women's foil will all see action tomorrow.  Erinn Smart (Brooklyn, N.Y.), 2004 U.S. Olympian, 2000 replacement athlete and Keeth Smart's sister, will be joined by Junior World Champion Emily Cross (New York, N.Y.) and Hannah Thompson (Rochester, N.Y.).  The replacement athlete in women's foil is Doris Willette (Lafayette, Calif.).

The Men's Saber Grand Prix team competition will wrap-up this Las Vegas event on Monday, June 23.  The U.S. men's sabre squad just missed out on a medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, finishing fourth.  They will be looking to use the Las Vegas Grand Prix event as a critical tune-up for their march to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing where they hope to reach the podium.  Two-time U.S. Olympian Keeth Smart (Brooklyn, N.Y./2000 and 2004) and 2004 U.S. Olympic alternate Tim Morehouse (Bronx, N.Y./New York, N.Y.) will be joined by Jason Rogers (Los Angeles, Calif./New York, N.Y.).  James Williams (Sacramento, Calif./New York, N.Y.) will serve as the replacement athlete.

Please see below for the remaining competition schedule (all times are Pacific Daylight Time):

Sunday, June 22

8:00 a.m. - Women's Foil World Cup - Individual Bracket 1:00 p.m. - Men's Saber Grand Prix - Individual Bracket 6:00 p.m. - Women's Foil World Cup - Individual Medal Round 6:00 p.m. - Men's Saber Grand Prix - Individual Medal Round

Monday, June 23

9:00 a.m. - Men's Saber Grand Prix - Team Competition 6:00 p.m. - Men's Saber Grand Prix - Team Bronze Medal Bout 7:00 p.m. - Men's Saber Grand Prix - Team Gold Medal Bout

For more information, please contact Cecil Bleiker, NGB Media Services Director for U.S. Fencing at 719-330-2062.  This press release is also available on the USOC's media specific website at www.usocpressbox.org.