Huge congratulations to Anna Van Brummen – Gold Medal winner at the senior World Cup in Suzhou (China). We are so happy for you Anna. Great achievement!!!
A former Junior World team medalist, van Brummen’s victory made her the first U.S. women’s epee fencer to win an individual Senior World Cup title since women’s epee was added to the Olympic program in 1996. Van Brummen becomes the second U.S. women’s epee fencer in history to win a Senior World Cup gold, breaking a 20+ year drought since former World Team member Laurel (Clark) Skillman won gold at a World Cup in Cuba.
Ranked 187th in the world at the start of the tournament, van Brummen was a member of the Senior World Team in 2014 and 2015 and won gold in the team competition at the Pan American Games in 2015.
In addition to bringing home gold, van Brummen also will climb the USA Fencing National Team Point Standings to move into a top-three ranking.
[From usfencing.org:]
“The new quadrennium began over the weekend for women’s epee fencers around the world and 22-year-old Anna van Brummen (Houston, Texas) declared herself a contender for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games with a gold medal win at the Suzhou World Cup in China.
A former Junior World team medalist, van Brummen’s victory made her the first U.S. women’s epee fencer to win an individual Senior World Cup title since women’s epee was added to the Olympic program in 1996. Van Brummen becomes the second U.S. women’s epee fencer in history to win a Senior World Cup gold, breaking a 20+ year drought since former World Team member Laurel (Clark) Skillman won gold at a World Cup in Cuba.
Ranked 187th in the world at the start of the tournament, van Brummen was a member of the Senior World Team in 2014 and 2015 and won gold in the team competition at the Pan American Games in 2015.
After narrowly missing the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team, van Brummen returned to Princeton for her final year of NCAA eligibility in September and set her sights on the upcoming season and qualification for her third Senior World Team next summer.
Van Brummen finished the pool rounds at 4-2 and defeated Kaylin Sin Yan Hsieh (HKG), 15-12, on Friday to qualify for the table of 64 on Saturday.
In the second day of competition, van Brummen defeated her first two opponents by 15-11 with wins against Dorina Budai (HUN) and Rie Ohashi (JPN).
Van Brummen faced 2015 Senior World bronze medalist Sarra Besbes (TUN) in the table of 16 and edged the No. 3 fencer in the world, 15-14, before outscoring 2012 Olympic team silver medalist A-Lam Shim (KOR), 15-14, to qualify for the semis and secure a medal.
Van Brummen defeated Sera Song (KOR), 15-10, in the semis and bested Dzhoan Feybi Bezhura (UKR), 15-13.
In addition to bringing home gold, van Brummen also will climb the USA Fencing National Team Point Standings to move into a top-three ranking.
London Olympian Kat Holmes (Washington, D.C.) advanced to the table of 32. Exempt from pools, Holmes defeated 2009 Junior World team bronze medalist Francesca Bassa (Houston, Texas), 15-8, in the table of 64, but lost to Monika Sozanska (POL), 9-8, and finished 20th overall.
Natalie Vie (Phoenix, Ariz.) also advanced to the table of 64, but lost her first direct elimination bout on Saturday, 15-13, to Anna Kun (HUN).
On Sunday, Holmes, Bassa, Vie and 2011 World University Games team silver medalist Holly Buechel (South Orange, N.J.) fenced in the team event.
The Americans lost to Poland, 45-44, in the table of 16 and Hong Kong, 33-32, in the 9th – 16th place table.
Team USA ended with a pair of wins, defeating Kazakhstan, 45-25, and Canada, 33-26, to finish in 13th place.
Alliance Women’s Epee Results:
Suzhou Women’s Individual Epee World Cup
1. Anna van Brummen (Houston, Texas)
56. Francesca Bassa (Houston, Texas)”
(-usfencing.org)
