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Saturday, September 23
U.S. women finish fourth in team foil
ESPN.com's news services
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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