Fencing
US in gold medal match
Keeth Smart (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Jason Rogers (Los Angeles, Calif.) and Tim Morehouse (Bronx, N.Y.) defeated Russia in the final touch, 45-44, to advance to the gold medal match in men's team sabre fencing.
Upset in fencing
The U.S. team of Keeith Smart (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Jason Rogers (Los Angeles, Calif.) and Tim Morehouse (Bronx, N.Y.) earned a place in the semifinals of the men's team sabre competition by upsetting No. 2 seed Hungary 45-44 Sunday morning at the Fencing Hall on the Olympic Green.
Next up for the U.S. is No. 3 seed Russia in the semifinals, which will begin at 11:40 a.m.
Bronze for US
The United States women's fencing team earned the bronze medal by defeating France 45-38. This is the second fencing medal in the 2008 Games for Mariel Zagunis (Portland, Ore.), Sada Jacobson (Dunwoody, Ga.) and Becca Ward (Portland Ore.) having swept the gold, silver and bronze medals in the individual contest, respectively.
United States gets first medals
BEIJING -- The medal podium at Beijing's Fencing Hall belonged to the United States as its three entrants swept the medals in women's individual sabre competition at the 2008 Olympic Games this morning.
Mariel Zagunis (Beaverton, Ore.) successfully defended the gold medal she won at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games by defeating teammate Sada Jacobson (Dunwoody, Ga.) 15-8 in the gold medal bout. Earlier, Becca Ward (Portland, Ore.) assured the sweep by coming back from a 6-1 deficit to defeat Russia's Sofiya Velikaya 15-14 and claim the bronze medal.
It marks the first time a country has swept the medals in an individual fencing event since Germany did it in women's foil at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games.
Olympics bloggers
Look for updates, news, analysis and commentary from the following reporters:.- Dan Egan, Boston.com blogger
- John Powers, Globe staff
- Shira Springer, Globe staff
- Scott Thurston, Globe staff