Mariel Zagunis
Mariel Zagunis
Mariel Leigh Zagunisis an American sabre fencer. She won the gold medals in the individual sabre at the 2004 Summer Olympics and the 2008 Summer Olympics. She is the first American to win a gold medal in Olympic fencing, and was chosen to be the flag bearer of the United States at the 2012 Summer Olympics Parade of Nations...
ProfessionFencer
Date of Birth3 March 1985
good last ready versus year
Last year wasn't such a good bout versus her so this year I was ready to make up for that.
bit environment nerves ready start
Its a little bit nerves and a little bit getting used to the environment. I don't feel like I fenced my best. I'm ready to start over (today).
forget goes realize start today worrying
It goes so quickly, you don't realize what has happened. There is no use worrying about what did and didn't happen. I'm going to forget today and start over (on Friday).
loss loses hard
It's a hard loss when you lose by one point.
thinking records pressure
Luckily, I'm setting records without even thinking about it, without having the pressure of having to do as well as the person who came before me. It's more like, "Yeah, I'm doing my thing and what happens, happens," and fortunately those have been some pretty amazing results.
parent has-beens supporter
My parents are my No. 1 supporters and they always have been.
sports athlete thinking
The sport has changed so much since 2004, it's incredible. If you look even at me, the way I'm fencing now compared to 2004, it's a completely different sport. They've changed so many things just with what [the referees] are calling, they've changed the timing of the [scoring] lights. You always have to be evolving as a fencer. The Olympics is interesting because it's such a small field compared to what we're used to. This world championships, I think we had a hundred and something [athletes]. The Olympics is going to be less than 32.
crazy america long
For a long time, my life has not been quote-unquote normal. And I'm OK with that, because what I'm trying to do is something that's above and beyond, that not very many people in America or the world have achieved at all. So, I don't mind that my life is so hectic and crazy.
morning practice goal
I love waking up every single day and going to fencing practice in the morning and just working hard and setting those big goals one after another, and achieving them, and wanting to do it again and again and again. There's no reason for me to stop.
strong exercise opposites
With sabre fencing, it's important to have a strong core. I do an exercise called 'the dead bug.' You sit on the round side of a Bosu ball, lean back, extend one arm and the opposite leg, then switch.