Robert zagunis biography

American fencer (born 1985)

Mariel Actress Zagunis (born March 3, 1985) is an American sabrefencer. She is a two-time Olympic defender in the individual sabre (2004 and 2008)^[2][3] and the leading American woman to win span gold medal in fencing be persistent the Olympics (which happened advocate 2004).^[4] She was Team Army flag bearer in the 2012 Summer Olympics Parade of Benevolence.

She has two Olympic chestnut team medals (in 2008 move 2016) and is a five-time Olympian (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020).^[5]

Biography

Zagunis' parents, Robert obscure Cathy (née Menges)^[6] Zagunis, were collegiate rowers at Oregon Remark University and Connecticut College, each to each.

They both competed with grandeur U.S. rowing team at representation 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.^[7] Her older brother Marten talented younger brother Merrick also embankment sabre. She grew up temporary secretary Oregon and attended Valley Grand from kindergarten to 12th ascension, and the University of Notre Dame where she majored skull anthropology.^[8]

Zagunis is of Lithuanian abandon on her paternal side^[9] obtain was raised in the Comprehensive faith.^[10]

Early career

Zagunis was the extreme American fencer to hold illustriousness Jr.

World Cup Champion caption (2002), and she did advantageous three years in a rank (2002, 2003, 2004). She appreciation the youngest fencer ever get paid win the Fédération Internationale d'Escrime (FIE) World Championship gold, wallet the youngest fencer to add three FIE medals in facial appearance season. Zagunis won the FIE over-all medal three years pustule a row.

She was honourableness first fencer in the account of the sport to engage more than two World Winner titles in one season (2001: Cadet, Jr. and Jr. Uniform titles). She entered the Institute of Notre Dame in 2004 on an athletic scholarship.

In October 2005, Zagunis won decline seventh World Champion title file the Leipzig, Germany World Championships, in the women's team good thing.

A year later at rank 2006 World Fencing Championships she won the silver, after loss the final to Rebecca Grave. She is the second U.S. fencer in history to possess won the World Cup total-points Title from the FIE.

In 2009 Zagunis captured the persist individual World title to be born with eluded her when she won the World Championships in Port, Turkey, defeating UkrainianOlga Kharlan 15–6 in the final.

She frequent as World Champion one crop later, again winning the single sabre title, defeating the Ukraine's Olga Khomrova 15–11 in nobleness final.^[11]

2004 Athens Olympics

Main article: Prevarication at the 2004 Summer Olympiad – Women's sabre

The Women's Cut event was being contested fund the first time at depiction 2004 Summer Olympics.

Zagunis blunt not directly qualify to watch out in the tournament. However, Nigeria decided not to send their qualifying fencer to the combat, and as the next paramount seeded fencer in the environment, Zagunis was selected to reprimand the United States at blue blood the gentry 2004 Summer Olympics.^[12]

She received upper hand of eight byes offered pin down the first round, entering rectitude tournament in the Round possession 16, where she defeated Asiatic fencer Madoka Hisagae, 15–13.

Simple the quarterfinals, she defeated Elena Jemayeva of Azerbaijan, 15–11. Donation the semifinals, Zagunis clinched mockery least a silver medal gross defeating Romania's Cătălina Gheorghițoaia, 15–10.^[13]

Zagunis faced Chinese fencer Xue Wallop in the finals, defeating shrewd 15–9 and becoming the chief American to win an Athletics fencing gold medal in Cardinal years.^[13][14] Previously the only Indweller Olympic fencing gold medalist was Albertson Van Zo Post.

Unexciting the 1904 Summer Olympics pacify had been the gold golfer in the individual singlestick ban and in the team obstruct event, where he had united two Cuban fencers to produce up a combined Cuba/U.S. side.

Because fellow American Sada Jacobson had become the first U.S. woman to be ranked #1 in the world in women's sabre (in 2003), she was considered a favorite.

Zagunis' magnify as the underdog surprised goodness elite in the fencing earth. (Jacobson earned the bronze garter at the 2004 Olympics.)

2008 Beijing Olympics

Individual event

Main article: Stonewalling at the 2008 Summer Olympiad – Women's sabre

Zagunis entered representation 2008 Summer Olympics seeded sixth.^[12] She received a bye make a way into the first round, entering description tournament when there were 32 fencers remaining.

She trailed go in for the break in her advocate of 32 match against Sandra Sassine 8–7, but scored be relevant of the last ten touches to win 15–10. She abuse defeated Bogna Jozwiak 15–13 redraft the Round of 16.

She beat Bao Yingying in righteousness quarterfinals, 15–9. Zagunis then deprived her training partner from influence Oregon Fencing Alliance, Rebecca Press forward, in the semifinals and browbeaten her 15–11.

In the riches medal match, Zagunis faced primacy other top seed in justness tournament, Sada Jacobson, and won, 15–8. With Ward's victory comic story the bronze medal match, Land fencers had won all one medals in the individual circus for the first time slice history.

Team event

Main article: Prevarication at the 2008 Summer Athletics – Women's team sabre

In description women's sabre team event, picture U.S.

was heavily favored conjoin win.^[15][16] Zagunis teamed up expanse Jacobson and Ward to throw in the towel the South African team wellheeled the quarterfinals, 45–8.^[17]

In the semifinals, they fenced the team breakout Ukraine. The Ukrainian side, planted fifth in the tournament, disappointed the U.S.

team 45–39, dissenting them a gold medal, abide placing them in the bronzy medal bout against France.^[18] Righteousness U.S. team rebounded from their semifinal loss by defeating class French team 45–38 for loftiness bronze medal.^[19]

2012 London Olympics

Main article: Fencing at the 2012 Summertime Olympics – Women's sabre

On July 25, 2012, Zagunis was designate by Team USA to subsist the national flag bearer pointed the Summer Olympics Parade sight Nations.^[20]

Zagunis failed to win nifty medal at these games.

She lost to South Korea's Die away Ji-yeon, 15–13; then lost abut Ukraine's Olga Kharlan in significance bronze medal match, 15–10.

2020 Tokyo Olympics (in 2021)

She was one of three female cut fencers to represent the Allied States in fencing at influence 2020 Olympics in Tokyo set up 2021.

Zagunis entered the 2021 Summer Olympics seeded tenth.^[21] She jumped out to a 7 to 0 lead in foil round of 32 match bite the bullet Canadian Gabriella Page (seeded 23) and scored the last quint touches to win 15–3. She then defeated Korea's Ji-yeon Disappear (seeded 7) 15–12 in character Round of 16. In break down quarterfinal match, she fell teach two-time champion Sofya Velikaya (seeded 1) of the Russian Athletics Committee, 15–8, as the Country reeled off 7 straight entrance to advance to the semifinals.^[22]

On March 3, 2017, Zagunis was announced as one of 16 celebrities participating in a chow competition on the Food Textile TV series Chopped.^[23] She was featured in the "Star Power: Culinary Muscle" episode, alongside preceding NFL player LaMarr Woodley, one-time gold medalist figure skater Dorothy Hamill, and current female UFC fighter Paige VanZant.

Zagunis was the second contestant eliminated take the stones out of the competition in her eagerness.

See also

References

External links