Kensington teen fencer wins silver at the Maccabiah Games
July 9, 2017
FOR IMMEDATE RELEASE
First Japanese-Jewish competitor and first medal for Japan at this international event
Washington, D.C. – History was made today when Sam Cohen (Fukudate Samu) won silver in the Junior (Under 20) Men’s Sabre event at the 20th quadrennial Maccabiah Games, held July 4-11 in Jerusalem, Israel. Cohen, 17, is a resident of Kensington, Maryland. He is the first and only Japanese-Jewish competitor in the Maccabiah Games’ history and the first Maccabiah athlete to win a medal for Japan. This is his first international competition.
Cohen recently graduated from Albert Einstein High School in Bethesda, Maryland, and is a rising freshman at Penn State University. Cohen is member of DC Fencers Club in Silver Spring, Maryland, where he trains with Head Coach Janusz Smolenski.
At today’s event, Cohen sailed through his pool bouts winning all but one of the five bouts. In the direct elimination brackets, he won a close quarterfinal bout (15-13) against an Israeli opponent, then advanced to the semifinals, winning 15-14. In the finals matchup, Cohen took silver in a tight bout (14-15) against Bruno Pekelman of Brazil.
“The hardest bout I fenced was the first bout of direct elimination,” Cohen said. “My legs became really tired beforehand and I almost blew it.”
An accomplished fencer stateside, Cohen recently took bronze in Division II Men’s Sabre at the April North American Cup, a national event sponsored by USA Fencing. At the Maccabiah Games, Cohen is accompanied by DCFC Coach David Ruskin.
Cohen was born in the town of Yamada in Iwate Prefecture, which was devastated by the Great Northern Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of March 2011. The catastrophe destroyed his mother’s family home.
Before the competition Cohen spoke about his pride in representing Japan. “I feel really excited because I’m going to be the first Japanese Jewish representative,” said Cohen. “I feel like it’s going to be a historic moment for the Jewish community.”
Sam’s family has posted a funding page (www.gofundme.com/SamMaccabiah) to help defray costs for the competition.
About fencing competitions
Modern sport fencing features three weapons: sabre, epee, and foil. Sabre is based on the cavalry weapon, and the target area is the waist up. The epee is based on the dueling rapier, and the target is the entire body. The target area in foil is the torso. Fencing competitions 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 dlimination or “DE.” Direct elimination bouts are 15-touch/9-minute bouts. Winners of each DE round advance to the table of 64, 32, 16, semifinals, and finals.
About the Maccabiah Games
The Maccabiah Games are the quadrennial Jewish Olympics, held in Israel the year following the Olympic Games. Every four years, the best Jewish athletes from throughout the world compete in Open, Masters, Juniors, and Disabled competitions. This year’s Games feature more than 7,000 athletes from 80 countries.
About DC Fencers Club
Whether you are a competitive or recreational fencer, DC Fencers Club (DCFC) welcomes you. For 27 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, and individual lessons. DCFC coaches have a combined 100 years of training, competition, and teaching experience, and they include credentialed fencing masters and National Champions. DC Fencers Club promotes excellence, sportsmanship, and safety in a friendly environment. For more information, visit www.dcfencing.com.
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