Swiss fencing team guaranteed gold or silver
Switzerland is certain to win its fourth Olympic medal today after the women's fencing team reached the final of the épée tournament. Gianna Hablützel-Bürki, Sophie Lamon and Diana Romagnoli will take on Russia in the fight for gold or silver.
The medal will be Switzerland’s second in fencing at this year’s Games. On Sunday Hablützel-Bürki won the individual silver medal, also in the épée discipline.
It was the first time in 48 years that Switzerland had managed an individual medal in fencing, and the first fencing medal ever for a Swiss woman.
Now Hablützel-Bürki will be joined by Lamon and Romagnoli after an impressive team effort against first Cuba and then China.
The Swiss women emphatically beat Cuba 45-38 in the quarter-finals, before eliminating the world vice-champions, China, 45-33 in the semis.
The 15-year-old fencer Sophie Lamon showed extraordinary maturity in her fencing, and was the only team member not to lose any of her bouts against the Cubans.
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