The long-shot US fencing team will be fencing for gold after first defeating world champion Poland and then knocking off Hungary in the semifinals of the Women's Team Foil to advance to the finals at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

The long-shot US fencing team will be fencing for gold after first defeating world champion Poland and then knocking off Hungary in the semifinals of the Women's Team Foil to advance to the finals at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

After defeating Germany 35-31 in the quarterfinals, the Hungarians were forced to accept the United States' superiority in a 35-33 semifinal loss.

The Hungarians won only three of their nine bouts, with all three against Erinn Smart. Hungarian Aida Mohamed's 14-2 dismissal of Smart in the last bout was not enough to tie the score, already 33-19 for the US team by the ninth bout.

In the second semifinal, Italy and Russia slowly gave life to a low scoring duel. After four bouts Italy was trailing 10-7, but Italian fencer Giovanna Trillini tied the match at 15-15 in the eighth bout. In the ninth and final bout, Svetlana Boyko of Russia managed to take the lead before Beijing 2008 Olympic Individual Foil champion Maria Valentina Vezzali leveled the score at 21-21, sending the match into extra time. At the last moment, Russia won the decisive point after a controversial simultaneous hit was contested by the Italians. The Russians triumphed at 22-21.

The United States and Russia will fence for gold at 19:30 p.m. (UTC/GMT +8) on August 16, while Hungary and Italy are to meet in the bronze medal match at 18:00 p.m. in the Fencing Hall.

(BOCOG August 16, 2008)