World Cup 2, Ankara, Türkiye

More than 170 athletes hailing from various corners of the globe descended upon Ankara, Turkey, for the second World Cup of the season, a pivotal event offering Olympic ranking points crucial for 2024 qualification. Among them, Team USA boasted a full contingent comprising four women and four men.

In the women’s qualification, 84 competitors were divided into three groups, vying for a spot in the semi-finals. Phaelen French, Madison Gonzalez, Mary Zoldak, and Jordan Towns represented the American squad, aiming to bolster their Olympic ranking. Gonzalez and Towns launched their campaign in Group B, commencing with the fencing discipline. Towns, making her World Cup debut, accrued 131 points, securing the 28th spot after fencing. Gonzalez performed admirably, tallying 166 points to claim 26th place. Subsequently, the focus shifted to swimming, where Towns clocked 2:58.96, clinching the 27th position, while Gonzalez delivered an impressive performance with a time of 2:15.13, ranking fourth in her heat. As the laser run unfolded, Towns maintained her consistency but slipped a place due to a slower final shooting series, finishing 28th overall with 707 points.

Meanwhile, Gonzalez showcased her sharpshooting prowess but couldn’t improve her standing, concluding in 26th place with 967 points. In Group C, French and Zoldak commenced with swimming, where French seized victory in her heat with a time of 2:30.12, positioning 23rd overall, while Zoldak finished in 28th place with a time of 2:58.78. Moving to fencing, French secured 21st place with 194 points, while Zoldak settled for 28th with 138 points. Despite their valiant efforts in the laser run, none of the American women progressed to the semi-finals.

In the men’s qualification featuring 94 athletes across three groups, Team USA’s Brendan Anderson, Tristen Bell, Tyler Evans, and Sam Ruddock aimed to secure a spot among the top 12. Anderson and Evans kicked off in Group A, with Evans claiming 25th place in fencing with 196 points, and Anderson finishing 21st with 202 points. In swimming, Evans secured 24th place, while Anderson clocked the 14th fastest time. Despite their efforts in the laser run, Evans finished 22nd overall with 1119 points, and Anderson placed 18th with 1127 points. Ruddock, in Group B, demonstrated consistency in fencing but faltered in the latter stages, securing 28th place with 208 points. His swim placed him 21st, and despite struggles in the laser run, he finished 28th overall. In Group C, Bell showcased a strong swimming performance, securing the 22nd fastest time, and followed up with a respectable showing in fencing, finishing 20th. His laser run performance propelled him to 23rd place overall with 1136 points. Despite their efforts, no American men advanced to the semi-finals.

Looking ahead, World Cup #3 commences on April 23rd. Go Team USA!