Mariel Leigh Zagunis

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Mariel Leigh Zagunis

2004 & 2008 Olympic Champion - the first fencer from the USA to win an Olympic gold in 100 years.

photo by Serge Timacheff/Fencingphotos.com photo: Michael Sohn/AP photo: Claire Randall/OFA

2008 Olympic Champion, Beijing
2006 FIE Overall World Cup Champion
2006 NCAA Champion
2005 Sr. World Champion - Team
2005 Jr. World Champion
2004 - Olympic Champion, Athens
2002,2003, 2004 FIE Jr. World Cup Champion
2001 Cadet World Champion, 2001 Jr. World Champion
2000 Sr. World Champion-Team

2008 Results

Aug.: Beijing, China, - GOLD, click here to go to Beijing Olympics page See the gold medal match here
July: Queretaroo, Mexico - Pan American Championships, BRONZE, Team Event - GOLD
June: Las Vegas, USA - Grand Prix, #33, Team Event - GOLD
May: Tianjin, China - World Cup, BRONZE, Team Event - BRONZE, Klagenfurt Austria -World Cup, #5
March: Algiers, Algeria - World Cup, #5, Team Event - GOLD, Lamezia Italy - World Cup #10, Team Event - GOLD,
V. Leganes Spain World Cup - BRONZE
February: Budapest, Hungary - World Cup, #17, Orleans, France - World Cup, #33, Team Event - GOLD, England Cup - SILVER

2007 Results

Aug.: Montreal, Canada, Pan American Zonal Championships - BRONZE, Team GOLD
June: Las Vegas, Nevada, Grand Prix - 5th, Team GOLD; Havana, Cuba, World Cup - GOLD, Tianjin China World Cup - 5th, Team BRONZE;
Hanoi Vietnam World Cup - BRONZE, Team BRONZE
May: Klagenfurt, Austria World Cup - GOLD
March: Alger Algeria World Cup - GOLD, Foggia Italy World Cup - BRONZE, Team 4th Place
Feb: Budapest Hungary World Cup - 17th, Team SILVER, Orleans France World Cup - 9th, London UK World Cup - GOLD
Jan. North America Cup "D" - BRONZE

2006 Results

   June 17: Las Vegas, USA World Cup Grand Prix - GOLD. Click here to see Mariel's winning match against 2005 Sr. Women's World Champion Anne
         Lise Touya of France, Mariel's defeats Touya and moves to the Gold - Silver match with Italy. Click here to see news article.
    June 9-10: Vancouver Canada World Cup - BRONZE.
    June 3-4: Klagenfurt AUT World Cup - BRONZE
    May 25: Hanoi Vietnam World Cup Grand Prix - #10
    March 17: NCAA Championships (held at Rice University) - GOLD, Win's NCAA Champion title (see article here)
    March 10-11: Lamezia Italy World Cup - #10
    Feb. 25: Budapest Hungary World Cup Grand Prix - SILVER
    Feb. 3-4: Orleans France World Cup - SILVER

Notable facts

Mariel wins her second Olympic gold medal, successfully defending the title for the USA, in Beijing China.

Read a history of Mariel and Oregon fencing from the Oregonian article Living by the Saber March 24, 2008 here.

Mariel along with Coach Ed Korfanty and the 2008 U.S. Women's Sabre and Foil Teams wins the 2008 Ambassador's Award for Sports Diplomacy.
"The US Ambassador to Hungary, April Foley, presented the US Women's Olympic Foil and Sabre teams with the Ambassador's Award for Sports Diplomacy this week in Budapest. The award was created in 2007 by Ambassador Foley to honor those individuals and groups whose outstanding work in the fields of culture and sport advance the Embassy's goals of mutual understanding and deepening friendship between the United States ands the Republic of Hungary. The women's teams received the award on February 26th and were recognized for their promotion of women in sports, as role models to young women and for their excellence in athletic performance and competition."

In preparation for the Beijing Olympics Mariel appears on the Today Show with Ann Curry and shows Ann some fencing moves. Click here to see it.

Mariel wins the 2006 FIE Overall World Cup Champion title for her consistent high performance in the 2006 World Cup series events. Read The Beaverton Valley Times article here.

USA Today.com named Mariel U.S. Olympic Athlete of the Week for her astounding performance at the October 2005 World Championships in Leipzeig Germany. click here to see the USA Today article. USA Today.com named Mariel Olympic Athlete of the Week for the second time on June 20, 2006 for her consistent performance, and her June Las Vegas World Cup gold medal win. Read the article here.

Mariel has made fencing history in numerous ways:

The first ever women's Olympic Saber champion, 2004 was the first year women's saber was added to the fencing events (held in Athens Greece). She is the first USA fencer to win a gold Olympic medal in 100 years, and along with USA teammate Sada Jacobson (bronze) won the first Olympic fencing medals for the USA since 1984 (Peter Westbrook won bronze).

First USA fencer to hold the Jr. World Cup Champion title, and she did it for 3 years in a row: 2002, 2003, 2004.

Youngest fencer to ever win the coveted FIE (Federation International de Escrime - the international ruling body of fencing) gold medal. She is also the youngest fencer to win 3 FIE medals in one season. Ms. Zagunis has won the FIE overall medal 3 years in a row.

Only fencer in the history of the sport to hold more than two World Championship titles in one season -- in 2001, she was the Junior, Cadet, and Junior Team women’s saber champion.

Mariel holds the record for the most medals won in the Jr. and Cadet World Cup Championships (more than 8 medals).

In March 2005 Mariel captured her 6th World Championship Title at the 2005 Jr. and Cadet World Championships in Linz, Austria by winning gold in the Jr. event. No other US fencer in any age group has come close to earning as many titles.

In Feb. 2004 Mariel received the Bill Hayward Award, Oregon's top honor for amateur female athlete of the year. Read news article from Beaverton Valley Times.

USA Today.com named Mariel their U.S. Olympic Athlete of the Week after her stellar performance and contributions to bring home the gold and World Champion Title for Team USA in the 2005 World Championships in Leipzig, Germany Oct. 2005.

List of World Championships won:

2005: Jr. World Champion, Sr. Team World Champion
2004: Jr. Team World Champion
2001: Cadet World Champion, Jr. World Champion, Jr. Team World Champion
2000: Sr. Team World Champion

As of Oct. 2005 Mariel has won 13 World Championship Medals: 9 Gold, 3 Silver, 1 Bronze

Personal:

D.O.B: March 3, 1985 - Portland, Oregon
Height: 5'8"
Hometown: Beaverton, Oregon

University: Notre Dame, entered Notre Dame in 2004
High School: Valley Catholic High School 2003
Daughter of Olympians: Robert and Cathy Zagunis (both in 1976 Montreal Olympics-Rowing), Robert Zagunis also fences sabre
Coached by: Ed Korfanty of the Oregon Fencing Alliance (also U.S. National Women's Saber Coach)
Siblings: Marten Zagunis, Merrick Zagunis (both successful sabre fencers)

Successful soccer player since age of 5. Played midfielder and earned 3 letters on the Valley Catholic High School team. Still plays recreationally.
Started fencing in foil at age 10 because big brother Marten was fencing. Mariel used to watch while waiting for his classes to end. Coach Ed Korfanty invited her to join in some of the games. Mariel's natural athletic ability showed immediately.

Click here to see NBC Olympics profile and slideshow of Mariel's fencing background and family. Great photos.

Click here to see NBC gallery of photos of Mariel, include Beijing, World Championships, and Athens.

photo of Gold medal win at 2005 Germany World Championships photo of Mariel Zagunis lunging at opponent during world cup event
2005 Women's Sabre Team Champions, Mariel on far right

Mariel Zagunis at the gold medal ceremony, Athens 2004 Mariel Zagunis with Coach Korfanty showing her gold medal right after the Athens 2004 gold medal ceremony
2004 Athens Olympics Medal Ceremony, receiving her gold medal Mariel, with her coach Ed Korfanty, shows her gold medal

photo of Mariel Zagunis 2004 Athens Olympics gold medal photo of the final scoreboard at the 2004 Athens Olympics Women's sabre event where Mariel Zagunis made history becoming the first woman to win a gold medal in the event, and the first US fencer in 100 years to win an Olympic gold medal
Mariel's Olympic Gold Medal The final scoreboard in Athens