Alliance Fencing Academy's Ari Simmons is World Champion

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- Sixteen-year-old Ariel Simmons (Bellaire, Texas) became the first U.S. men’s epee fencer since 2006 to win gold at the Cadet World Championships on Monday in Porec, Croatia.

Simmons and his teammate, 16-year-old Jake Raynis (Chatsworth, Calif.) made history together as Raynis’s bronze medal marked the first time ever that two U.S. men’s epee fencers have stood on the podium at a Cadet Worlds.

The first-time Cadet World Team members advanced to the table of 32 on Monday after dropping just one bout each in the pools and winning their table of 64 bouts on Sunday. Simmons admitted that he was nervous at the start of the competition on Monday, but cruised to a 15-7 victory over Federico Vismara (ITA). Up 7-5, after the first two minutes of the bout. Simmons gave up just one touch as he raced to a 12-6 lead at the break and outscored Vismara, 3-1, to finish the bout early in the second period.

“The very first bout it was weird because I haven’t fenced wireless before, but then I got into a groove and had fun,” Simmons said.

At the end of the first period of his table of 32 bout, Raynis was tied with Walter Noe (GER), but the American scored six straight single touches on his way to finishing the bout with a 15-9 win. In the table of 16, Simmons trailed Daveed Abdelmalak (EGY), 5-0 early in the first period, but he brought the score to 9-7 by the first break and took a 14-13 lead going into the start of the final period. Neither athlete scored during the next minute, however, and noncombattivity was called which sent the bout into a one-minute overtime period. Abdelmalak scored first to tie the bout at 14, but Simmons singled to earn the win, 15-14.

Simmons started his semi against Jesus Limardo (VEN) – younger brother of 2012 Olympic Champion Ruben Limardo – aggressively and built an 8-3 lead after the first period. Although Limardo had come from behind to win his previous three bouts, Simmons outscored the Venezuelan, 7-2, in the first minute of the second period to win the bout, 15-5.

In the gold medal final, Simmons built a 7-6 lead against Jahimovics and didn’t look back as he held the lead in the second and went on to win the gold with a 15-13 final victory.

“I dreamt of it but didn’t realize I would have a medal sitting in pocket. It’s weird… I am very, very happy and humbled,” Simmons said. “It’s a great experience to fence for the U.S. and represent our country. I definitely didn’t expect to win. I wanted it and trained for it, but didn’t expect it. Now that I’ve got it, it’s just a cool experience and I can’t stop taking it in. It’s a great honor and I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet.”

In addition to support from his teammates, Simmons had a large contingent of family members who traveled to Croatia to cheer him on. “It meant a lot to have my family here. It was definitely a lot of pressure. My mom said ‘By the way, we are taking your grandparents and aunt and sisters so good luck. And I mentally thought ‘Now I have to do well so they don’t waste thousands of dollars on coming to Croatia,’” Simmons said.

For complete list of results: http://www.engarde-service.com/files/cjwc2013/wcporec2013/emc-in/

Alliance Fencing Academy is located in The Woodlands, Texas. For more information visit the link below.