Team USA’s Men’s Foil Fencers Aim To Parry Their Way To Gold: “Together, We Are Unstoppable”
All told the foursome each owns at least one Olympic medal, plus a combined 25 world championships medals.
2
GOLD
0
SILVER
2
BRONZE
Athlete Bio#
Height
5'8"
Age
39
Hometown
Portland, OR
Education
University of Notre Dame ’13, Anthropology
Personal
Daughter of Catherine and Robert Zagunis...Has two brothers, Marten and Merrick...Parents were both rowers on the 1976 U.S. Olympic Team...Married to Michael Swehla in 2013...Hobbies include cooking, running, hiking, gardening, volunteering, running and playing tennis...Has fenced with her coach, Ed Korfanty, since she began the sport at age 10...Most decorated fencer in the history of USA Fencing...Inducted into the FIE Hall of Fame in 2013...Made history at age 19 in 2004 when she became the first U.S. fencer to win an Olympic gold medal in 100 years...Served as the Opening Ceremony flag bearer for the U.S. delegation at the London 2012 Olympic Games...Her greatest source of inspiration in Fencing has been Valentina Vezzali, a six-time Olympic champion in foil Fencing.Career Highlights
- 2015 Pan American Games, gold (team); 8th (individual)
- 2011 Pan American Games, gold (individual, team)
Olympic Experience
- 5-time Olympian; 4-time Olympic medalist (2 gold, 2 bronze)
- Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, 5th (Individual Sabre - Women), 6th (Team Sabre - Women)
- Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro 2016, bronze (Team Sabre - Women), 9th (Individual Sabre - Women)
- Olympic Games London 2012, 4th (Individual Sabre - Women)
- Olympic Games Beijing 2008, gold (Individual Sabre - Women), bronze (Team Sabre - Women)
- Olympic Games Athens 2004, gold (Individual Sabre - Women)
World Championship Experience
- Most recent: 2019 – 7th (Team Sabre - Women), 14th (Individual Sabre - Women)
- Years of participation: Individual Sabre - Women 2000, 2000, 2001, 2001, 2002, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019; Team Sabre - Women 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019
- Medals: 16 (6 gold, 5 silver, 5 bronze)
- Gold – 2014 (Team Sabre - Women); 2010 (Individual Sabre - Women); 2009 (Individual Sabre - Women); 2005 (Team Sabre - Women); 2001 (Individual Sabre - Women); 2000 (Team Sabre - Women)
- Silver – 2014 (Individual Sabre - Women); 2011 (Individual Sabre - Women); 2006 (Individual Sabre - Women, Team Sabre - Women); 2004 (Team Sabre - Women)
- Bronze – 2015 (Team Sabre - Women); 2013 (Team Sabre - Women); 2012 (Team Sabre - Women); 2011 (Team Sabre - Women); 2000 (Individual Sabre - Women)
More
Personal WebsiteUSA Fencing
More about Mariel#
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