The United States of America Wins Four of the Six Individual Gold Medals at Pan American Senior Zonal Championships
The Pan American Senior Zonal Championships are taking place in Lima, Peru. The competition is being held at Poledeportivo 1, home of the foil Grand Prix last March.
Nearly 350 fencers participated in the six individual events, and the United States won four golds and a total of fourteen medals. Canada was next with four medals.
One of Canada’s medals was gold, as Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medallist and current 10th-ranked Eleanor Harvey topped a field of 49 fencers by defeating Carolina Stutchbury of the United States 11-8 in the final bout. Harvey defeated two-time defending Olympic Champion (Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024) and current World Champion, the 3rd-ranked Lee Kiefer 15-9 in the semifinals.
Stutchbury defeated countrymate and Paris 2024 Olympic silver medallist, the 7th-ranked Lauren Scruggs 15-9 in the other semifinal.
Scruggs and Kiefer both earned bronze.
Final Rankings – Women’s Individual Foil
- Eleanor Harvey (CAN, Gold)
- Carolina Stutchbury (USA, Silver)
- Lauren Scruggs (USA, Bronze)
- Lee Kiefer (USA, Bronze)
Men’s individual sabre had a field of 58 and 12th-ranked William Morrill of the United States defeated countrymate and 4th-ranked Colin Heathcock 15-9 to take the gold.
In the semifinals, Morrill beat fellow American Darii Lukashenko 15-6, while Heathcock defeated Eliecer Romero of Venezuela 15-2.
Romero and Lukashenko both earned bronze medals.
Final Rankings – Men’s Individual Sabre
- William Morrill (USA, Gold)
- Colin Heathcock (USA, Silver)
- Eliecer Romero (VEN, Bronze)
- Darii Lukashenko (USA, Bronze)
Gabriel Feinberg of the United States topped a field of 67 when he defeated Jesus Andres Lugones Ruggeri of Argentina 15-7 to take the gold.
In the semifinals Feinberg beat countrymate Oleg Knysh 15-10, while Lugones Ruggeri defeated Dylan French of Canada 15-12.
Knysh and French both took bronze medals.
Final Rankings – Men’s Individual Epee
- Gabriel Feinberg (USA, Gold)
- Jesus Andres Lugones Ruggeri (ARG, Silver)
- Oleg Knysh (USA, Bronze)
- Dylan French (CAN, Bronze)
Natalia Botello of Mexico defeated Gabriela Maria Lin Hwang of Puerto Rico 15-9 to take gold women’s individual sabre gold in a field 52 fencers.
In the semifinals Botello defeated Katherine F. Paredes Torres of Venezuela 15-7 and Hwang scored a narrow 15-13 victory over Maria Alicia Perroni of Argentina.
Perroni and Paredes Torres both took bronze medals.
Final Rankings – Women’s Individual Sabre
- Natalia Botello (MEX, Gold)
- Gabriela Maria Lin Hwang (PUR, Silver)
- Maria Alicia Perroni (ARG, Bronze)
- Katherine F. Paredes Torres (VEN, Bronze)
Women’s individual epee had the largest field with 68 fencers, and 88th-ranked Anna van Brummen of the United States scored an upset over countrymate and 7th-ranked Hadley Husisian 15-13 to win the gold.
In the semifinals, van Brummen defeated the 12th-ranked Ruien Xiao of Canada 15-14 in overtime, while Husisian defeated Nicole Xuan of Canada 15-11.
Xuan and Xiao both took bronze medals.
Final Rankings – Women’s Individual Epee
- Anna van Brummen (USA, Gold)
- Hadley Husisian (USA, Silver)
- Nicole Xuan (CAN, Bronze)
- Ruien Xiao (CAN, Bronze)
In a men’s individual foil field of 52 fencers, the 5th-ranked Alexander Massialas defeated countrymate Marcello Olivares 15-11 to take the gold.
In the semifinals, Massialas bested Vicente Otayza of Chile 15-9, while Olivares defeated Guilherme Toldo of Brazil 15-8.
Massialas overcame his 6th-ranked countrymate and Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medallist Nick Itkin 15-7 in the quarterfinals.
Otayza and Toldo both took bronze medals.
Final Rankings – Men’s Individual Foil
- Alexander Massialas (USA, Gold)
- Marcello Olivares (USA, Silver)
- Vicente Otayza (CHI, Bronze)
- Guilherme Toldo (BRA, Bronze)
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