| The Olympics are in Beijing in 2008, how
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| | the World standings qualify, with only
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| are the teams chosen for the fencing
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| | one fencer from any one country. The next
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| competition?
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| | 7 are pulled from the Olympic zones as
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| The mandated levels of athlete
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| | the top 2 from Europe, 2 from Asia, 2
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| participation has led to changes in the
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| | from the Americas, and 1 from Africa,
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| selection process for the Games. Each
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| | again with only 1 fencer from a country.
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| nation is no longer guaranteed an athlete
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| | The remaining 5 slots are determined by a
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| in each sport - now nations and athletes
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| | continental qualifying competition with 2
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| have to compete against not only their
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| | from Europe and 1 from each of the
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| countrymen, but against others in their
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| | remaining regions.
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| region or continent for an Olympic slot.
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| | What about Men's Foil and Women's Epee?
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| In the 2004 Olympic Games all of the
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| | A different set of criteria is used to
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| men's events (epee, foil, and saber) were
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| | pick the 24 fencers who will compete in
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| included, but two of the three women's
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| | the Men's Foil and Women's Epee events.
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| events did not hold the team competition.
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| | Because there is no team event, each
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| The international fencing federation
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| | individual will have to qualify on their
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| (FIE) rotates the events which will sit
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| | own merit and not on the ranking of their
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| out the team portion of the Olympics, and
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| | national team. The following formula is
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| for the 2008 Olympic Fencing competition,
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| | used to pick the 24 individual entries:
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| Men's Foil and Women's Epee will only
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| | The top 8 in the World rankings get their
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| hold an individual tournament.
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| | tickets punched (but only 2 can go from
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| Who gets to go?
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| | the same country from this set.) After
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| Athletes are competing for slots based on
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| | the first 8 are chosen, the next 8 in are
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| their nation's standing in the world (for
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| | picked by region based on adjusted world
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| team events) and based on individual
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| | rankings. (There are 3 slots for Europe,
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| world rankings (for the individual
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| | 2 for Asia, 2 for the Americas, and 1 for
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| events.) Here's a breakdown of what it
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| | Africa.) The last 8 qualify based on
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| will take for an aspiring swordsman (or
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| | continental competitions where countries
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| swordswoman) to get a ticket to Beijing:
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| | that haven't qualified any fencers on the
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| Weapons with Team Events (Men's Epee,
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| | first 2 rounds. In the last round, the
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| Men's Sabre, Women's Foil, Women's
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| | allocation of slots remains at 3 Europe,
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| Sabre):
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| | 2 Asia and Americas, and 1 for Africa.
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| Team Events are comprised of teams of 3
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| | Outlook for the United States
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| fencers with 1 alternate. A total of 8
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| | Will the US earn a medal in 2008?
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| teams can compete in each team event (9
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| | The United States earned Bronze and Gold
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| if China fails to qualify a team
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| | medals in Women's sabre in 2004. Sada
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| directly).
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| | Jacobson and Mariel Zagunis are still at
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| The top 4 teams in the world standings
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| | the top of the world rankings and are
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| will qualify directly to the Olympics.
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| | joined by young fencing phenom Becca
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| The remaining 4 teams are chosen based on
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| | Ward, who last year won the individual
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| regional qualification. The top team from
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| | world championship title at the Cadet,
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| each region (Americas, Asia, Europe,
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| | Junior, and Senior levels of competition.
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| Africa) that is not already qualified
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| | The US is favored to medal in Women's
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| will earn a regional berth.
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| | Sabre.
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| The individual event is a tournament with
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| | In the other weapons, the best hopes are
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| a field of 39 fencers. For the individual
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| | with Men's Sabre as the individual team
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| competition, the 24 fencers that competed
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| | members are posting good results for the
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| in the team event qualify. After the
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| | season.
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| first 24 fencers are chosen, the top 3 in
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