Torrey Pines HS Grad Set to Fence in Olympics Wednesday

Fencer Soren Thompson of San Diego is scheduled to begin competing in his second Olympics Wednesday, facing Jorg Fiedler of Germany in a round of 32 matches in the men's individual epee.

The match is scheduled to begin at 2 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time at ExCeL London and can be seen live on NBCOlympics.com.

Thompson is 14th in the rankings compiled by FIE, fencing's worldwide governing body, 12 spots higher than Fiedler.

The winner will face the winner of the match between Athos Schwantes of Brazil and Bas Verwijen of the Netherlands.

The entire competition will be held Wednesday, with the round of 16 beginning at 3:15 a.m., the quarterfinals at 4:30 a.m., the semifinals at 9:30 a.m., the bronze medal match at 11:10 a.m. and the gold medal match at noon.

Thompson finished seventh in the event in the 2004 Olympics, including upsetting the world's second-ranked epee fencer, Alfredo Rota of Italy, and helped the U.S. to a sixth-place finish in the team competition, which is not being held in this Olympics. An injury kept him out of the 2008 Olympics.

Born on May 5, 1981, in San Diego, Thompson started fencing when he was 7 years old and participated in a recreational class conducted by .

He graduated from Torrey Pines High School in 1999, and then went to Princeton University, where he was a three-time All-American.

The epee is a thrusting sword descended from the dueling sword. Hits are scored by hitting an opponent with the tip of the weapon. Both fencers can score at the same time.

The bout lasts for three three-minute periods or until at least once fencer has scored 15 hits against his opponent.

–City News Service