World runner-up Hungary was upset Thursday by the United States
45-43 in the men's sabre team event, while reigning champion Russia
cruised over the host Greece 45-22 in the quarter-finals at the
Athens Olympic Games.
Keeth Smart scored seven points in the final round against
Hungary's Domonkos Ferjancsik to make up a 40-38 deficit to win the
bout.
The 26-year-old, who come from Brooklyn of New York, put the
U.S. team to danger situation as he scored only one point against
Zsolt Nemcsik to offer Hungary a 30-25 lead.
"Everybody stepped up to make it happen," said Smart, whose
previous best result was a seventh finishing in the team event of
the World Championships in Nimes, France, 2001.
Jason Rogers and Ivan Lee won the following two outings to keep
the Americans in the game.
Second-ranked France took on great challenge of an inexperienced
Chinese team, holding the younger Chinese to only six points in the
last three outings to win 45-35.
Italy was the last to advance after it ousted Ukraine 45-44 in a
breath-taking bout, which seeing the two sides battling all the way
from the very beginning.
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(Xinhua News Agency August 19, 2004)