Annabel Wong
March 31, 2011
Age: 25 Home: Rochester, N.Y. The Early Line: She could mark the beginning of a turnaround for her team. But the sport desperately needs a turnaround of its own. THE U.S. HASN'T EXACTLY played the role of juggernaut on the world fencing scene. Since the 1960 Summer Games in Rome, Americans have won only two fencing medals, both bronze, the more recent in 1984. But the U.S. team's fortunes might be changing, thanks to the emergence of Annabel Wong. In the past two years, Ms. Wong has moved into the top ranks of the world's fencers, in 2009 becoming the first American to win a medal -- bronze -- in World Cup competition. Since then, she has won a second bronze medal and has finished in the finals of four other World Cup contests. Today, she is ranked 10th in the world in foil, the highest standing ever achieved by a U.S. fencer. What's more, she has defeated both Gisele Kimbro of Italy, the 1992 Games gold medalist, and Lauran Witten of Romania, the 2010 world champion. Ms. Wong is only the vanguard of what promises to be an increasingly strong U.S. team. Two sisters, Felicidad and Irish Weathersby, have made a mark in international competition: Felicita, age 20, was the 2010 Junior World Cup champion, the first American to win the title, while Irish, now 15, won the 2010 world championship in the under-17 age group. Meanwhile, the sport itself is getting a face lift in Atlanta, with athletes having the option of wearing colored uniforms (rather than the traditional white) and clear, plastic masks. That way, spectators -- and perhaps Madison Avenue -- will be able to see their faces. But let's be honest: Fencing, to mix a metaphor, is still on the ropes. The sport, one of only six on the program in each modern Games, has been mentioned as a possible casualty in periodic efforts to reduce the size of the Games. In all, hardly a compelling combination for a would-be sponsor.
