Team USA’s men’s foil team featured a quartet with eight Olympic medals among them.
The veteran core four which included Taiwanese American Alex Massialas (silver & two bronze) and Filipino American Gerek Meinhardt (two bronze) had to overcome the home court advantage of the French team which had a raucous crowd waving French flags, chanting slogans and hooting and hollering.
The French easily won the bronze medal match 45-32.
“It hurts right now, but I love it. I love that the French fans are so passionate,” said Massialas to the San Francisco Chronicle. “The fans do so much for the sport and this venue is so incredible.”
It would have been Team USA’s third straight bronze medal in this event, but this time it wasn’t meant to be.
Team USA went in optimistic, having won gold at this year’s Pan American championships.
“Our goal is to win gold, finally,” said five-time Olympian and Filipino American Gerek Meinhardt to USA fencing prior to the match. “We were ranked higher going into the last two Games and came home with bronze. We know that we’re capable, and ranking really doesn’t matter, especially in a sport like fencing. So, we’re just excited to go out there, fight as hard as we can, and show all the work that we’ve been doing.”
What’s next for this core of veterans. Meinhardt is married to Lee Keifer who won two golds in fencing in Paris. They are expected to return to their studies in medical school at the University of Kentucky.
Massialas of San Francisco wants to return for the games in Los Angeles in 2028 when the Olympics will be held in his home state.
“Whoever makes that team, if I make that team,” Massialas said, “next time, we’ll have the fans on our side,” he said.
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