Olympic silver for Alex Massialas!
Congratulations to Alex Massialas, who today won silver in the Men’s Foil individual event at the Rio Olympics.
Massialas’ silver ends a 32-year medal drought for U.S. men’s fencing. The last time the United States won a men’s fencing medal of any kind was when Peter Westbrook took home bronze at the 1984 Games. The last time an American male fencer won a medal in this event was 56 years ago when Albert Axelrod took home bronze.
Massialas, the #1 ranked fencer in the world, had been viewed as a favorite to win the competition. He is the son of former Olympic fencer Greg Massialas who is his coach.
Timur Safin won the bronze medal earning Russia its first medal in the event since the Sydney Games.
U.S. fencers Gerek Meinhardt and Miles Chamley-Watson were both eliminated earlier in the day. Meinhardt was eliminated by Kruse in the quarterfinals while Chamley-Watson lost to Russian Artur Akhmatkhuzin in the Round of 32.
The U.S. trio, along with alternate Race Imboden, will return to the piste on August 12 to compete in the team competition.
Watch online livestream of fencing events all week at NBC Olympics Online. The first 30 minutes are free, additional viewing is available to cable subscribers.
Every fencing champion gets their start in a beginner class. DCFC classes begin this September (intermediate) and October (beginner fencing). Learn about DC Fencers Club’s fall schedule on the classes page of www.dcfencing.com.