Vet Worlds 2024, Day 5: Team USA Secures Silver in Vet Team Men’s Foil

DUBAI — Team USA earned a silver medal in the Vet Team Men’s Foil event on Tuesday at the 2024 Veteran Fencing World Championships, recovering from an early pool-stage loss to Japan to defeat them in the semifinals before narrowly missing out on gold in a closely contested final against France. 

Team events were introduced at Vet Worlds in 2014, and the U.S. had just one medal in this event upon entering the tournament. But this year’s squad — Rafael Suárez (Masters Fencing Club) and Marek Wyszynski (Fencers Club) for Vet-50, Peter Grandbois (Denison University Fencing NCAA) and John Lawrence (Masters Fencing Academy) for Vet-60, and Joseph Streb (Columbus International Fencing Academy & Royal Arts FC) and Philippe Bennett (Fencers Club) for Vet-70 — was determined to improve that record.

The silver medal finish matched Team USA’s result from the 2019 Vet Worlds in Cairo, where a lineup featuring both Wyszynski and Lawrence also secured silver after falling to Italy in the final.

The competition began with a pool round featuring Team USA, Australia and Japan. After a narrow 21-18 victory over Australia, the Americans suffered a 25-30 defeat to Japan, earning the No. 6 seed in the direct-elimination tableau.

In the quarterfinals, Team USA bounced back with a convincing 30-18 win over Germany, setting up a rematch against Japan in the semifinals. This time, the U.S. edged out a 25-22 victory, securing their spot in the gold medal final and guaranteeing a place on the podium.

The final against France was a tense and tactical battle. Team USA held the lead after the first two legs but trailed after the third and fourth. Suárez entered the fifth leg with the Americans down 13-14 in a low-scoring affair. He delivered an incredible performance, scoring 12 touches while conceding just eight, giving the U.S. a 25-22 advantage heading into the final leg. However, the Americans were unable to hold the lead, and France clinched the gold as time expired.

Under the guidance of coach Rhys Douglas, the U.S. team proudly brings home the silver medal.

In individual events on Tuesday, despite strong performances from all U.S. fencers, the team was shut out of medals in Vet-50 Women’s Epee, Vet-60 Women’s Epee and Vet-60 Men’s Epee.