Mariel Zagunis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mariel Zagunis |
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| Full name | Mariel Leigh Zagunis | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | March 3, 1985 Portland, Oregon, United States |
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| Height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 160 lb (73 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Country |  United States |
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| Sport | Fencing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weapon | Sabre | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hand | Left | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years on national team | 2000–present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Oregon Fencing Alliance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Head coach | Ed Korfanty | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FIE ranking | Current ranking | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Mariel Leigh Zagunis, born on March 3, 1985, is a famous American fencer. She uses a type of sword called a sabre. Mariel is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in individual sabre fencing. She won in 2004 and 2008. In 2004, she made history as the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in fencing.
She was also chosen to carry the American flag for Team USA at the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony. Mariel has also won two Olympic bronze medals with her team, in 2008 and 2016. She has competed in five Olympic Games: 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020.
Contents
About Mariel Zagunis
Family and Education
Mariel's parents, Robert and Cathy Zagunis, were both rowers in college. They even competed for the U.S. rowing team at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. Mariel has two brothers, Marten and Merrick, who also fence with sabres.
She grew up in Oregon and went to Valley Catholic School from kindergarten through high school. Later, she attended the University of Notre Dame, where she studied anthropology. Mariel was raised in the Catholic faith.
Mariel's Early Fencing Career
Mariel Zagunis was the first American fencer to win the Junior World Cup Champion title. She won this title three years in a row, from 2002 to 2004. She was also the youngest fencer ever to win a gold medal at the Fédération Internationale d'Escrime (FIE) World Championship.
Mariel was also the youngest fencer to win three FIE medals in one season. She won the FIE overall medal three years in a row. In 2001, she became the first fencer in history to hold more than two World Champion titles in a single season. These titles included Cadet, Junior, and Junior Team. In 2004, she started attending the University of Notre Dame on an athletic scholarship.
In October 2005, Mariel won her seventh World Champion title. This was in the women's team event at the World Championships in Leipzig, Germany. A year later, at the 2006 World Fencing Championships, she won a silver medal. She was the second U.S. fencer ever to win the World Cup total-points title from the FIE.
In 2009, Mariel won the last individual World title she had not yet claimed. She won the World Championships in Antalya, Turkey. She defeated Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan in the final match. She won the individual sabre title again the next year, in 2010. She beat Olga Khomrova of Ukraine in that final.
Olympic Achievements
2004 Athens Olympics: A Historic Gold
The women's sabre event was new to the 2004 Summer Olympics. Mariel Zagunis did not originally qualify for the tournament. However, a fencer from Nigeria decided not to compete. Since Mariel was the next highest-ranked fencer, she was chosen to represent the United States at the 2004 Summer Olympics.
She started in the Round of 16. There, she beat Japanese fencer Madoka Hisagae. In the quarterfinals, she defeated Elena Jemayeva from Azerbaijan. Mariel then won her semifinal match against Cătălina Gheorghițoaia of Romania. This guaranteed her at least a silver medal.
In the final match, Mariel faced Chinese fencer Xue Tan. Mariel won, becoming the first American to win an Olympic fencing gold medal in 100 years. Before her, the only American Olympic fencing gold medalist was Albertson Van Zo Post. He won gold in 1904. Many people were surprised by Mariel's win because fellow American Sada Jacobson was ranked number one in the world at the time.
2008 Beijing Olympics: Double Medals
Individual Sabre Gold
Mariel Zagunis was ranked sixth when she entered the 2008 Summer Olympics. She started in the Round of 32. She won her first match against Sandra Sassine. Then, she defeated Bogna Jozwiak in the Round of 16.
In the quarterfinals, she beat Bao Yingying. Mariel then faced her training partner, Rebecca Ward, in the semifinals and won. In the gold medal match, Mariel competed against Sada Jacobson, another top fencer. Mariel won the match. With Rebecca Ward also winning a bronze medal, American fencers won all three medals in the individual event for the first time ever.
Team Sabre Bronze
In the women's sabre team event, the U.S. team was expected to win. Mariel teamed up with Sada Jacobson and Rebecca Ward. They defeated the South African team in the quarterfinals.
However, in the semifinals, they lost to the team from Ukraine. This meant they could not win the gold medal. They then competed for the bronze medal against France. The U.S. team won this match, earning the bronze medal.
2012 London Olympics: Flag Bearer
On July 25, 2012, Mariel Zagunis was chosen by Team USA to be the national flag bearer. This meant she carried the American flag during the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics Parade of Nations.
Mariel did not win a medal at these games. She lost to South Korea's Kim Ji-yeon. She then lost to Ukraine's Olga Kharlan in the bronze medal match.
2020 Tokyo Olympics (Held in 2021)
Mariel was one of three female sabre fencers to represent the United States in fencing at the 2020 Olympics. These games were held in Tokyo in 2021. Mariel was ranked tenth when she entered the Olympics.
She won her first match against Canadian Gabriella Page. She then defeated Korea's Ji-yeon Kim in the Round of 16. In her quarterfinal match, she lost to Sofya Velikaya from the Russian Olympic Committee.
Beyond Fencing
On March 3, 2017, Mariel Zagunis was one of 16 famous people who took part in a cooking competition. This was on the Food Network TV show Chopped. She was on the "Star Power: Culinary Muscle" episode. Mariel was the second contestant to be eliminated in her heat.
See also
In Spanish: Mariel Zagunis para niños
- List of USFA Division I National Champions
- List of NCAA fencing champions
