Princeton University Athletics
Katharine Holmes '17, second from right, and Anna Van Brummen '17, right, competed for Team USA in the women's team épée event on Tuesday. Head coach Zoltan Dudas, center, is on Team USA's coaching staff, and rising junior Mohamed Hamza, left, and Eliza Stone '13, second from left, will compete in team events later this week.
Photo by: Beverly Schaefer
Tokyo Olympics: Tigers Help U.S. Épée Team End with Back-to-Back Wins
July 27, 2021 | Women's Fencing
Katharine Holmes '17 and Anna Van Brummen '17 helped the U.S. women's épée team finish with back-to-back wins and capture fifth place at the Olympic Games on Tuesday in Tokyo.
The Tiger pair, with sisters Courtney and Kelley Hurley, opened the tournament as the fifth-seeded Americans fell 38-33 to eventual finalist and fourth-seeded South Korea. Holmes started the bout for the U.S. and gained a 2-1 lead, but South Korea pulled in front during the fourth of the nine bouts and never trailed from there. Holmes won all three of her bouts against South Korea, doing so by a combined touch total of 15-12.
From there, the U.S. team moved into the qualification round and defeated eighth-seeded Hong Kong, China 42-31. Holmes led off again, and though the U.S. trailed 7-3 after two bouts, Kelley Hurley won the third bout 9-3 and the Americans held the lead the rest of the way. Holmes won each of her final two bouts in the match and out-touched her three opponents 13-8.
The win moved the U.S. into a match against second-seeded Poland with the winner finishing fifth. Van Brummen, the U.S. épée team's replacement athlete, made her Olympic debut when she subbed in for Courtney Hurley in the match, winning her three bouts 10-8. Poland led 11-10 after five bouts and entering Holmes' second bout of the match, but Holmes delivered a 3-0 win that turned the tide for good as she and Van Brummen combined to turn in each of the Americans' final three wins to close it out.
The fifth-place finish matches the Americans' finish from the Rio Games in 2016, when Holmes and the Hurleys competed for the U.S. in all three bouts of the team competition.
Princeton's remaining two fencers will take part in their respective team competitions later in the week. Eliza Stone '13 and the American women's saber team will compete beginning Friday, and rising junior Mohamed Hamza and the Egyptian men's foil team will compete Saturday. The women's saber competition is set to begin at 9 p.m. ET with the men's foil event set to start at 8 p.m. ET.
The Tiger pair, with sisters Courtney and Kelley Hurley, opened the tournament as the fifth-seeded Americans fell 38-33 to eventual finalist and fourth-seeded South Korea. Holmes started the bout for the U.S. and gained a 2-1 lead, but South Korea pulled in front during the fourth of the nine bouts and never trailed from there. Holmes won all three of her bouts against South Korea, doing so by a combined touch total of 15-12.
From there, the U.S. team moved into the qualification round and defeated eighth-seeded Hong Kong, China 42-31. Holmes led off again, and though the U.S. trailed 7-3 after two bouts, Kelley Hurley won the third bout 9-3 and the Americans held the lead the rest of the way. Holmes won each of her final two bouts in the match and out-touched her three opponents 13-8.
The win moved the U.S. into a match against second-seeded Poland with the winner finishing fifth. Van Brummen, the U.S. épée team's replacement athlete, made her Olympic debut when she subbed in for Courtney Hurley in the match, winning her three bouts 10-8. Poland led 11-10 after five bouts and entering Holmes' second bout of the match, but Holmes delivered a 3-0 win that turned the tide for good as she and Van Brummen combined to turn in each of the Americans' final three wins to close it out.
The fifth-place finish matches the Americans' finish from the Rio Games in 2016, when Holmes and the Hurleys competed for the U.S. in all three bouts of the team competition.
Princeton's remaining two fencers will take part in their respective team competitions later in the week. Eliza Stone '13 and the American women's saber team will compete beginning Friday, and rising junior Mohamed Hamza and the Egyptian men's foil team will compete Saturday. The women's saber competition is set to begin at 9 p.m. ET with the men's foil event set to start at 8 p.m. ET.
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