Former Penn men's fencer and 2016 College graduate Shaul Gordon competed in the Olympic sabre event.
Credit: Arabella UhryOn day one of the Olympics, 2016 Penn alumnus Shaul Gordon was eliminated in the Table of 32 of the men’s individual sabre event. The event is hosted in Paris’ Grand Palais, a historic and breathtaking venue.
Gordon represented Canada on the piste against Italy’s Luigi Samele. Ranked number 26, Gordon was the underdog in the match; Samele entered the competition ranked number seven. Samele will be attempting to defend the silver medal he earned at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as he moves further into the competition.
During the first period of play, Gordon held an early 2-5 lead, but Samele came back to tie it at six apiece. Samele continued his hot streak with an unanswered 5-0 run. However, Gordon didn’t go down without a fight, as the two traded points throughout the second period, but he couldn’t pull off the comeback. His individual Olympic run ended with a 10-15 loss.
This is Gordon’s second Olympic Games. Three years ago at the Tokyo Games, he competed for Team Canada in the men’s individual sabre. He finished in the Table of 32, where he lost against Iran’s Motjaba Abedini 10-15.
While 2021 was his first year as an Olympian, Gordon was no stranger to the world of international fencing.
He first represented Canada in 2013, and had a terrific 2018 season, winning the men’s sabre silver at the Pan American Championships and gold at an International Fencing Federation (FIE) satellite event in Belgium.
His 2019 season was just as remarkable, during which he had an eighth-place finish at the FIE World Championships: his career best. He also secured a team sabre silver medal and an individual bronze medal at Lima 2019 Pan Am Games. Just last year, he added a team gold medal and individual bronze medal at the Santiago 2023 Pan Am Games.
But before he was finishing on the podium on the international stage, Gordon was a standout fencer for Penn. During his three years as a Quaker (he competed his freshman year at Penn State), he was a three-time NCAA qualifier, second team All-American in his senior year, and first team all-American his freshman year. He left Penn with a 143-30 record.
Gordon played an instrumental role in securing the 2016 Ivy Championship for Penn, the team’s first title since 2009. As captain, Gordon led the charge towards victory, attaining a 14-1 record across two days. He also crowned Sabre Champion at the Ivy Championships.
While his individual journey is over, Gordon still has competition to look forward to. Canada will face South Korea on July 31 in the Table of 8 in pursuit of a men’s team sabre title.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
Donate
