Mariel Zagunis: US Flag Bearer Fails to Medal in Women's Sabre

Mariel Zagunis was unable to live up to the lofty expectations set for her at the London 2012 Olympics as she failed to earn a medal in the women’s sabre competition.

Chicago Tribune writer Philip Hersh reported the news via Twitter.

"

Mariel Zagunis loses bronze to Olga Kharlan of Ukraine 15-10

— Philip Hersh (@olyphil) August 1, 2012"

Zagunis' hopes for another gold medal ended when she lost 15-13 in the semifinals to South Korea’s Kim Jiyeon, who would go on to win gold. She faced Ukraine’s Olga Kharlan in the bronze medal match, but lost 15-10 and finished fourth in the competition. 

As Sam Borden of the New York Times notes, Zagunis led by as many as seven points during the semifinal match, but Kim was able to find a way to reverse the momentum and complete the improbable comeback. 

Zagunis had won the inaugural women’s individual sabre competition at the 2004 Athens Games and four years later in Beijing.

As a 19-year-old in Athens, she was selected to the fencing team as an alternate, but was given a spot in the tournament when a Nigerian fencer dropped out.

Zagunis’ past success earned her the honor of being the U.S. flag bearer for the opening ceremonies. 

The 27-year-old was favored to win this year’s competition, entering the event as the No. 1 seed.

This will be a monumentally disappointing result for Zagunis, whose fiercely competitive spirit drove her success and made her an ideal candidate to wave the stars and stripes in the Parade of Nations.