Olympic hopeful Amanda Sirico wins silver at Helsinki World Cup
Amanda Sirico (left) wins silver at Helsinki World Cup
For Immediate Release
November 12, 2014
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Amanda Sirico is the #1 ranked Junior Women’s Epee fencer in the United States
(Silver Spring, MD) – In her first world circuit fencing tournament of the season, Amanda Sirico, 18, of Bowie, Maryland, lost no time getting to the podium, with a silver medal at the Young Lions Women’s Junior World Cup in Helsinki, Finland on November 9. With this win, Sirico maintains her rank as the number one Junior (under 20) Women’s Epee fencer in the United States; she is also the number four ranked Junior Women’s Epee fencer in the world.
Sirico is a freshman at Notre Dame University, and continues to train at DC Fencers Club under the guidance of Head Coach Janusz Smolenski. Sirico had this to say about her win. “I’m still adjusting to school and everything, but I think this kind of goes to show that hard work no matter where you are can pay off, it’s all just a matter of making the most of it.”
In Helsinki, Sirico was seeded 23rd out of the pools, and proceeded to win by strong, sometimes devastating margins. In the table of 128, Sirico defeated Anna Vuorinen (FIN) 15-8, followed by a 15-7 win over Doria Jacob (FRA) in the Table of 64, and a 15-9 win against Agnese Lucifora (ITA) in the Table of 32. In the Table of 16, she defeated Victoria Kuzmenkova (RUS) 15-7. Sirico picked up speed in the quarter- and semifinals with overwhelming wins against Barbara Rutz (POL) at 15-5 and Isabella Signani (ITA), 15-5, then lost a close bout (15-11) to Nicol Foiella (ITA) in the finals. Sirico was the highest-placing U.S. fencer at this event.
When asked about the most challenging aspect of the competition, Sirico replied “the location, it was a lot darker than I’m used to.” Sirico’s next world cup event will take place at a sunnier latitude, in Burgos, Spain next February.
Top results
In the 2014-2015 fencing season, Sirico is attempting to qualify for both the Junior and Senior World Championship teams. Some of Sirico’s recent results include:
- Gold, Junior Women’s Epee, North American Cup, Columbus, OH (July 2014)
- Bronze, Senior Team Women’s Epee, Summer National Championships, Columbus, OH (July 2014)
- Silver, U.S. Junior Women’s Epee Team, Junior World Championships, Plovdiv, Bulgaria (July 2014)
- Bronze, Division 1 U.S. National Championship, Minneapolis, Minnesota (April 2014)
- Bronze, Dijon (FRA) Junior World Cup (January, 2014)
About fencing tournaments
Fencing competitions in all three weapons (epee, sabre, foil) usually consist of two rounds of bouting. In the first round of “pools,” six to eight fencers compete in a round-robin of 5-touch/3 minute bouts. Pool results inform the seeding of the next round, Direct Elimination or “DE.” Direct elimination bouts are 15 touch/9 minute bouts. Winners of each DE round advance to the table of 128, 64, 32, 16, semifinals, and finals.
About DC Fencers Club
Whether you are an elite fencer or a recreational fencer, DCFC welcomes you. For 22 years, DC Fencers Club (DCFC) has consistently produced national and international champions. We polish the skills of fencers who strive to compete at the highest level, and we encourage fencers of all ages and ability levels. DCFC offers instruction through classes, camps, workshops, and individual lessons. DCFC coaches have a combined 100 years of training, competition, and teaching experience, and they include credentialed fencing masters and National and World Champions. DC Fencers Club promotes excellence, sportsmanship, and safety in a friendly environment. Find out more at www.dcfencing.com.
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