SOLT LEJK SITI, Juta — Grant Vilijams (Njujorški atletski klub) znao šta je moguće: postati prvi bek divizije I muški sabljasti nacionalni šampion od 2018.
„Nekako sam imao u glavi da želim da otmem još jedan nacionalni šampionat“, kaže.
Ali ponavljanje je, naravno, lakše reći nego uraditi — naročito kada se desilo da mačevalac koji mu stoji na putu Deril Homer OLY (Fondacija Piter Vestbruk), trostruki olimpijac i poslednji čovek koji se ponovio kao šampion u toj disciplini.
Zaostajući 10-4 u borbi za zlatnu medalju, Vilijams daje iskrenu procenu svog mentalnog stanja u trenutku.
„Definitivno sam se malo uspaničio“, kaže. „Mačevanje momka kao što je Deril će uvek biti monumentalni izazov. Tako da sam samo morao nekako da se zaključam, fokusiram i pokušam da dobijem neke dodire da to izjednače i nadam se da će mi moji postupci dati tu prednost.“
Naravno, Vilijams je uspeo da izjednači sa 14 i da sebi šansu za titulu.
„Svaki mačevalac zna taj osećaj“, kaže on. „Moraš nekako da kreneš na to, pretpostavljam. I danas sam završio na vrhu.“
Vilijams je osvojio nacionalni šampionat — odbranivši titulu i osvojivši zlatnu medalju, jedno od 12 zlatnih osvojeno u četvrtak, 1. aprila u Kupu Severne Amerike, Nacionalnom prvenstvu Divizije I i Parafencing nacionalnom prvenstvu.
„Bio je zaista dobar osećaj da se to nekako ostvari“, kaže on.
Nekoliko sati nakon što je Vilijams zaradio svoju drugu nacionalnu titulu u nizu, Delphine DeVore dobila svoj prvi — Nacionalni šampionat Divizije I ženske folije. To je uloћio i njeno prvo NAC zlato u prvoj diviziji Super Sporta.
„Ove godine sam uložila mnogo rada da bih poboljšala svoje mačevanje“, kaže ona. „I samo sam srećna što vidim da se isplati.“
DeVore kaže da je naporno radila na poboljšanju brzine mačevanja — povećavajući strpljenje.
„Mislim da sam se nekada veoma brzo ogradio — da pokušam da odmah dobijem što više dodira“, kaže ona. „Ali pokušavao sam da uzmem vreme između dodira da se stvarno krećem i pazim na trenutke u kojima radim stvari.“
Ta strategija se isplatila u borbi za zlatnu medalju protiv Zander Rhodes (V Fencing Club), koji se žestoko borio da izbriše DeVoreovo rano vođstvo. Čak i kada je njen trag počeo malo da se smanjuje, DeVore je rekla sebi da ne menja mišljenje.
„Shvatila sam da, ako radim, mogu da pobedim“, kaže ona. „Ali ako prestanem da radim za svoje dodire, izgubiću.“
Ona je zaista pobedila — i kaže da je pobeda veliki podsticaj samopouzdanja dok se rad nastavlja.
„Nisam osvojila turnir neko vreme, tako da je to sjajno“, kaže ona. „Mislim da je to samo potvrda za mene da je ovo što radim ispravno. Sada se vraжam u laboratoriju i vraжam se u laboratoriju.“
Odsek I ženska folija
Gold and 2024 National Champion: Delphine DeVore
Silver: Zander Rhodes (V Fencing Club)
Bronza: Alexandra Nissinoff (V Fencing Club)
Bronza: Emily Jing (Star Fencing Academy)
5th: Caterina Fedeli (Epic Fencing Club & SCAD- Atlanta Fencing)
6.: Rebecca Cho (Top Fencing Club)
7th: Gabrielle Grace Gebala (Silicon Valley Fencing Center)
8th: Alina Lee (Massialas Foundation & The Ohio State University)
Odsek I muška sablja
Gold and 2024 National Champion: Grant Williams (New York Athletic Club)
Silver: Daryl Homer OLY (Peter Westbrook Foundation)
Bronza: Sajlas Čoi (Globus Fencing Academy)
Bronza: Darren Yen (New York Athletic Club & Integrity Fencing Studio)
5th: Taylor Chon (Globus Fencing Academy)
6th: Filip Dolegiewicz (Tim Morehouse Fencing Club & Midwest Fencing Club)
7th: Roger Wu (University Of California San Diego)
8th: Jared Smith (New York Athletic Club & University of Notre Dame)
Juniorska muška folija
Zlato: Nickolas Rusadze (Tim Morehouse Fencing Club (Port Chester))
Srebro: Anup Banerjee (Centar za mačevanje u Silicijumskoj dolini)
Bronza: Jeidus DeSeranno (Renesansni mačevalački klub)
Bronza: Aiden Siu (SoCAL Fencing Center)
5th: Renzo Fukuda (Massialas Foundation (M Team))
6th: Roy Graham (Jovanovic Fencing / Cambridge Fencing Center)
7th: Akhil Lewis (Top Fencing Club)
7th: Yikai Lu (Culver Military Academy / Renaissance Fencing Club)
Veterinar 40 Muški Epee
Zlato: Adam Maczik (Marx Fencing Academy)
Srebro: Noah Zucker (Cobra Fencing Club)
Bronza: Solomon Liou (Medeo Fencing Club & New Jersey Fencing Alliance)
Bronza: Jens Stephan (German Fencing Academy)
5th: Sandor Mandoki (Halberstadt Fencers’ Club)
6th: Philip Baranowski (Denver Fencing Foundation & Denver Fencing Center)
7th: Scott Rostal (Twin Cities Fencing Club)
8th: Eric Pho (Fencers Club & Rockland Fencers Club)
Veterinar 50 Muški Epee
Zlato: Daniel Wheeler (DC Fencers Club)
Srebro: Erih Krejnor (Severozapadni mačevalački centar)
Bronza: David Hitchcock (Cardinal Fencing Academy)
Bronza: Aaron Gaines (No Fear Fencing & San Diego Fencing Center)
5.: Chris O’Loughlin OLY (New York Athletic Club)
6th: Farooq Habib (Academy Of Fencing Masters)
7th: Toby Lee (Metro Tacoma Fencing Club)
8th: Jeffrey Snider (DC Fencers Club)
Veterinar 60 Muški Epee
Gold: Walter Dragonetti (Battle Born Fencing Club & Hooked On Fencing)
Srebro: Majkl Perka (Mačevalac)
Bronza: Evan Ranes (Battle Born Fencing Club)
Bronza: Timothy Gillham (Madison Fencing Academy)
5th: Jeff Hudson (Hudson Centers For The Martial Arts)
6th: Timothy Glass (Ataba Fencing Club)
7th: Michael Poppre (Phoenix Falcons Fencing Club)
8th: Sean Ameli (Battle Born Fencing Club)
Veterinar 70 Muški Epee
Zlato: Gypsy Gelnaw (No Fear Fencing & Fortune Fencing)
Srebro: Bruno Goossens
Bronza: John Moreau (Olympian Fencing Club)
Bronza: Charlie Schneider (Plymouth/Ann Arbor Fencing Academy)
5th: James Newsome (Tidewater Fencing Club)
6th: Daryl Taylor (Fortune Fencing)
7th: Vukodlak Paterson
8th: Chuck Alexander (No Fear Fencing)
Veterinar 80 Muški Epee
Zlato: Barry Leonardini (East Bay Fencers Gym)
Srebro: Hoze Deolivares (Kardinal Fencing Academy)
Bronza: Mark Henry (Chevy Chase Fencing Club)
Bronza: Dik Veber (Denver Fencing Center)
5th: Jonathan Jefferies (Halberstadt Fencers’ Club)
6th: Donald Anderson (New Mexico Fencing Foundation)
7th: Ed Sady (Fencing Sports Academy, Inc.)
8th: James Gallivan (Fortune Fencing)
Veterinar 40 Ženska sablja
Zlato: Clare Deming (Lilov Fencing Academy)
Srebro: Elisabet Chiarelli (Manhattan Fencing Center)
Bronza: Blanka Marentes (Salle Auriol Seattle)
Bronza: Lynn Zhang (PDX Fencing)
5th: Giselle Martinez Elizalde
6th: Agnieszka Koszyk (RedStar Fencing Club Chicago)
7th: Emily Grajales (Stoccata Fencing Academy & Club)
8th: Esther Duong (Laguna Fencing Center)
Veterinar 50 Ženska sablja
Zlato: Julie Seal (Valkyrie Fencing Club)
Srebro: Jasmina Denner (Scarsdale Fencing Center)
Bronza: Džodi Ambalong (Premier Fencing Academy)
Bronza: Frauke Berman (Manhattan Fencing Center)
5th: Kate Sierra (Atlantic Fencing Academy)
6.: Nadia Dreyer (Nova Mačevalac Club)
Sedma: Eileen Foley (Denver Fencing Center)
8th: Maud Webb (Globus Fencing Academy)
Veterinar 60 Ženska sablja
Zlato: Robin Pernice (Dynamo Fencing Center Inc.)
Srebro: Hajdi Runjan (Spartak)
Bronza: Rebecca Freyre (Fencing Academy Of Denver & Denver Fencing Center)
Bronza: Jenny Yang (Nellya Fencers)
5th: Lydia Fabry (Avant Garde Fencers Club & South Bay Fencing Academy)
6th: Beth Vance (Renaissance Fencing Club)
Sedma: Cindy Starr (Bergen Fencing Club)
8th: Robin King (Salle Auriol Seattle)
Veterinar 70 Ženska sablja
Zlato: Jane Eyre (Infinity Fencing Alliance)
Silver: Jeannine Bender (Capital Fencing Academy)
Bronza: Linda Dunn (IndySabre & Indianapolis Fencing Club)
Bronza: Gemin Channing
5th: Erica Julien (Forge Fencing Teams & Cape Fear Fencing Association)
6th: Marsha Reichman (Fencing Sports Academy & Capital Fencing Academy)
7th: Jude Offerle (RedStar Fencing Club Chicago & University Of Notre Dame)
8th: Dede Deane (Salle Green Fencing School)
Pronađite stotine sjajnih fotografija na Fejsbuku.
