The latest news from the USOC - April 17
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The men's epee team scored the U.S. its first world championship title in history at the 2012 World Team Championships on April 14 in Kiev, Ukraine. The quartet of Seth Kelsey (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Soren Thompson (New York, N.Y.), Ben Bratton (New York, N.Y.) and Cody Mattern (Colorado Springs, Colo.) defeated six-time reigning world champion France in the final, 44-37. Team USA defeated Hungary, Switzerland and Kazakhstan en route to the championship. The U.S. women's saber team also medalled at the world team championships, capturing the bronze medal.
PHOTO FINISH FOR FIELDS
Connor Fields (Henderson, Nev.) claimed his third consecutive BMX supercross world cup title on April 14 in Randaberg, Norway. Fields held off charging Australian BMXer Sam Willoughby in the closest photo finish in supercross BMX history.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}ARCHERY
U.S. archers Jacob Wukie (Oak Harbor, Ohio), Joe Fanchin (Oceanside, Calif.) and Brady Ellison (Glendale, Ariz.) kicked off the 2012 world cup season in Shangai, China, by claiming gold in the men's team recurve event on April 14.
BADMINTON
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Howard Bach (San Francisco, Calif.) and Tony Gunawan (West Covina, Calif.) won gold in the men's doubles event at the XXVII Peru International 2012 Badminton Championships in Lima, Peru, April 11-15. The event was the last major qualifier of the 2012 badminton world Olympic qualifying period. Iris Wang (Arcadia, Calif.) and Rena Wang (Arcadia, Calif.) earned bronze in the women's double's event, while Sattawat Pongnairat (Orange, Calif.) won bronze in the men's singles. In mixed doubles, Gunawan and Eva Lee (Orange, Calif.) paired up to win the bronze medal alongside Hock Lai Lee (San Marino, Calif.) and Priscilla Lun (San Marino, Calif.).
CANOE/KAYAK
Fourteen whitewater paddlers qualified for a shot at London at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Whitewater Slalom in Charlotte, N.C., on April 14.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CURLING
The U.S. women posted a 1-1 record going into the second day of the 2012 World Senior Curling Championships, which kicked off April 14 in Tarnby, Denmark. Competing in group A, the women outscored Ireland, 8-4, but lost to Canada, 12-1. The U.S. men own a 1-2 record in group B play after recording its lone win over Slovakia, 8-2.
CYCLING
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Nicky Wangsgard (Cedar City, Utah) edged out Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Cedar Springs, Mich.) to take the initial top spot of the USA Cycling National Criterium women's standings on April 14 in Charlotte, N.C. On the men's side, Isaac Howe (Concord, N.H.) currently sits in third place.
Alise Post (St. Cloud, Minn.) claimed a podium spot with a third-place finish at the BMX supercross world cup in Randaberg, Norway, April 14.
Ian Boswell (Bend, Ore.) and Joshua Berry (Coeur D'Alene, Idaho) secured podium spots after finishing second and third at the 2012 Liege Bastogne Liege race on April 14 in eastern Belgium.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Keegan Swenson (Park City, Utah) earned a world cup bronze medal in the junior men's cross-country competition in Houffalize, Belgium.
DIVING
The U.S. won four medals - two silver and two bronze - at the FINA Diving World Series on April 13-14 in Moscow. David Boudia (Noblesville, Ind.) medalLed in the individual 10-meter and also paired with Nick McCrory (Chapel Hill, N.C) to earn a silver in the synchronized event. Troy Dumais (Ventura, Calif.) and Dristian Ipsen (Clayton, Calif.) won the silver medal in the men's synchronized 3-meter, while Kelci Bryant (Chatham, Ill.) and Abby Johnston (Upper Arlington, Ohio) claimed bronze in the synchronized 3-meter event.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}EQUESTRIAN
Christopher Hickey (Colora, Md.) and horse Witness Hilltop earned the top score at the Intermediaire I Freestyle competition at the WEF Wellington Dressage Nations Cup CDIO 3* on April 15 in Wellington, Fla.
FIGURE SKATING
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Team USA earned four medals at the 2012 Gardena Spring Trophy on April 15 in Selva, Italy. In each of their respective international debuts, Barbie Long (St. Louis, Mo.), Nathan Chen (Salt Lake City, Utah) and Lukas Kaugars (Colorado Springs, Colo.) won gold, while Mariah Bell (Westminster, Colo.) earned the silver medal.
FENCING
Four U.S. fencers won titles at the Division I national championships this weekend in Virginia Beach, Va. James Williams (New York, N.Y.) earned the men's individual saber contest, while Doris Willette (Lafayette, Calif.) won the women's foil event. Gerek Meinhardt (San Francisco, Calif.) scored the men's foil title, while Courtney Hurley (San Antonio, Texas) took the women's epee crown. All four fencers secured nominations to the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}FIELD HOCKEY
The U.S. Women's National Team suffered a 4-0 shutout loss to host New Zealand at the Four Nations Tournament on April 12. The U.S. will play a consolation match against India, who they tied earlier in the tournament.
ICE HOCKEY
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The U.S. Women's National Team recorded a heartbreaking overtime loss to Canada, 5-4, in the gold medal game of the 2012 IIHF Women's World Championships in Burlington, Vt. The women took the silver medal, ending the tournament with a 4-0-1-0 overall record.
The U.S. Men's U-18 National Team recorded its third shutout of the IIHF Men's World Under-18 Championships in Brno, Czech Republic. The team defeated Denmark, 4-0, on April 15 and has not given up a single goal in the tournament.
MODERN PENTATHLON
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Mickey Kelly (Colorado Springs, Colo.) led Team USA with an 18th-place world cup finish from April 13-14 in Szazhalombatta, Hungary. Will Brady (Howell, Mich.) led the men with a 25th-place effort.
ROWING
Gevvie Stone (Newton, Mass.) qualified for the final Olympic qualification regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland, with a first-place finish in women's singles at the 2012 selection trials in Chula Vista, Calif. Warren Anderson (Paso Robles, Calif.) and Sam Stitt (McLean, Va.) also earned tickets to Lucerne after finishing first in the men's double scull event. Andrew Campbell (New Canaan, Conn.) and Will Daly (Vail, Colo.) advanced in the lightweight men's double sculls, while Julie Nichols (Livermore, Calif.) and Kristin Hedstrom (Concord, Mass.) advanced in the lightweight women's double.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ron Harvey (Downington, Pa.) rowed to win the final of the arms and shoulders men's single sculls at the 2012 Paralympic Trials - Rowing on April 12 in Chula Vista, Calif. The victory earned Harvey the right to race in London as a member of the U.S. Paralympic Rowing Team.
SHOOTING
Eric Hollen (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Josh Olson (Spokane, Wash.) scored a pair of top-10 finishes for Team USA at the IPC shooting world cup in Szczecin, Poland, April 13-14. Hollen led the way with a fifth-place finish in men's air pistol, while Olson recorded a 10th-place finish in the air rifle prone competition.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}TENNIS
John Isner (Greensboro, N.C.) was defeated by Juan Monaco, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, in the final match of the U.S. Clay Court Championship on April 15 in Houston, Texas.
TRACK & FIELD
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Jason Hartmann (Rockford, Mich.) nabbed a fourth-place finish at the Boston Marathon on April 16 in Boston, Mass.
TRIATHLON
Gwen Jorgensen (Milwaukee, Wis.) and Jarrod Shoemaker (Clermont, Fla.) placed fourth and 10th in the opener of the 2012 ITU World Triathlon Series on April 14 in Sydney, Australia.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}WRESTLING
Andrew Bisek (Chaska, Minn.) placed second at the Pan American Olympic Qualifying tournament in Kissimmee, Fla., earning Team USA a spot in the 74kg Greco-Roman weight class in London.
UPCOMING CALENDAR - APRIL
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}1-19 - Track & Field Chula Vista, Calif. U.S. Paralympics Track & Field Ambulatory/Wheelchair Camp
12-22 - Field Hockey Auckland, New Zealand Women's Four Nations Tournament
14-21 - Curling Taarnby, Denmark World Senior Championships
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}18-21 - Athletics Lawrence, Kan. Kansas Relays
18-22 - Synchronized Swimming London Olympic Games Qualifying Tournament
19-21 - Athletics Walnut, Calif. Mt. SAC Relays
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}19-21 - Archery Newberry, Fla. Gator Cup
19-21 - Gymnastics Norman, Okla. Men's NCAA Championships
19-22 - Modern Pentathlon Rostov, Russia World Cup No. 4
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}20-21 - Gymnastics Seattle, Wash. Women's NCAA Championships
20-21 - Canoe/Kayak Oklahoma City, OK, US Olympic Team Trials for Flatwater Sprint
20-21 - Diving Tijuana, Mexico FINA Diving World Series
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}20-22 - Table Tennis Cary, N.C. North American Olympic Trials
20-25 - Archery Medellin, Colombia Continental Olympic Qualifier for 2012
21-22 - Tennis Fed Cup Kharkiv, Ukraine