RIO DE JANEIRO (August 14) – France rounded off the Rio 2016 Olympic fencing competition in style on Sunday, winning the gold medal in men’s team epee with a 45-31 victory over Italy.
France’s team of Daniel Jerent, Yannick Borel, and Jean-Michel Lucenay opened up an early three-point lead and extended it throughout the match. The last touch was landed by European champion Borel, sparking wild celebrations from the hundreds-strong French fans at Carioca Arena 3.
“It’s the happiest moment of my fencing life. To win a gold medal at the Olympics is a
dream for a lot of us. You want to share this with your friends. You are screaming. They
are screaming too."
- Yannick BOREL (FRA)
It was France’s first fencing gold medal of the Games, and a second medal for Gauthier Grumier, who won bronze in the individual event. Grumier did not appear in the final but earns a medal due to his participation in earlier rounds.
The Italians – Enrico Garozzo, Marco Fichera, Paolo Pizzo and Andrea Santarelli – brought their country a third fencing medal of the Games.
"It's a very big emotion. I didn't dream years ago that I would be here with this medal
"It's hard for all athletes to become medallists.".
- Marco FICHERA (ITA)
Men’s epee individual champion Geza Imre (HUN), meanwhile, claimed a second medal of the Games as he helped his country to the bronze in the match for third place.
Imre, Andras Redli, Gabor Boczko and Peter Somfai beat Ukraine by a score of 39-37 for their country’s fourth Rio medal.
"We're a very good team and we wrote history, so we are so satisfied now. Hungarian
fencers have two gold, one silver and one bronze medal. We are a very little country so
it's a great result."
- Andras Redli (HUN)
The men’s team epee was the last fencing event of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
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