Mariel Zagunis

Mariel Leigh Zagunis ( born March 3, 1985 in Beaverton, Oregon) is an American saber fencer and two-time Olympic gold medalist.

Zagunis ' parents Robert Zagunis and Catherine Menges took part in the 1976 Olympic Games in rowing. She was in the years 2002, 2003 and 2004 Junior World Champion. At the World Championships in the elite field since 2000, she also achieved success. In 2000, she won gold in Budapest with the team, 2004 Silver in New York City. In 2005 she won the title again in Leipzig with the team. In the World Fencing Championships 2006 Zagunis Vice World Champion in single and in the team competition. At the 2007 World Championships in St. Petersburg, she was fifth in singles and ranked seventh with the team. The Pan - American Championships in Montreal ended Zagunis as a third party, another year later in Queretaro. Between 2004 and 2007, they won seven World Cup and was five times second and third. In 2009 Zagunis won at the World Championships in Antalya, a gold medal in singles and was Pan-American champion in San Salvador, in 2010 she won both titles again in Paris and San Jose. 2011 Muriel Zagunis was ' most successful year: she was in Reno (Nevada ) Pan - American champion in the singles and the team that won at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara (Mexico) both gold in the individual as well as with the team and peaked at the World Championships in Catania, a silver medal in singles, only beaten by Sofya Welikaja, and a bronze medal with the team. In 2012 she was re Pan-American champion in Cancún in singles and with the team and erfocht at the World Championships in Kiev a bronze medal with the team.

At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens Zagunis won the gold medal against the Chinese Tan Xue. She repeated this success four years later in Beijing when she beat her compatriot Sada Jacobson in the Olympic final. In addition, won the U.S. team with her bronze.

For the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London Mariel Zagunis was elected flag bearer for Team USA. In individual she reached the fourth place, after only the later champion Kim Ji- yeon and then beaten to bronze Olha Charlan in combat had to admit.