The women defeated Canada 45-30 in their opening match, the Ukraine 45-30 in the round of eight, and Poland in the semifinal 45-33.

The appearance of France in the final was somewhat of a surprise - the French upset the top-seeded Russian team in the semifinal 45-39.

The U.S. women held a strong 15-9 lead after the first three encounters. The French waged a strong comeback throughout the middle of the match, passing the U.S. women at 25-24, and pulling ahead touch by touch to a 35-29 lead.

In the final round of match-ups Jacobson and closer Ward both outscored their opponents but were unable to make up the deficit. The U.S. women lost the match 45-42.

"Any day we expect a gold and win a silver is still a great day for U.S. Fencing," said team captain Jeff Bukantz.

The women's saber individual gold, silver and bronze and team silver were the U.S.'s only medals of the competition.

Still the total of four World Championship medals is the U.S.'s best in decades at a senior Worlds competition.

In the team men’s saber competition, the U.S. team of Ivan Lee (25, Brooklyn, N.Y.), Keeth Smart (28 Brooklyn, N.Y.), Tim Morehouse (28, Bronx, N.Y.) and James Williams (21, Sacramento, Calif.) defeated the team from Chile 45-24 but then fell to Germany 45-38 in the round of 16.

In the women’s epee competition, the U.S. team of Lacey Burt (21, Sherwood, Ore.), Courtney Hurley (16, San Antonio, Texas), Kelley Hurley (17, San Antonio, Texas), and Maya Lawrence (26, Teaneck, N.J.) was defeated by Sweden 45-39 in its first match, in the round of 32.

In men’s epee team action, Benjamin Bratton (21, Richmond Hill, N.Y.), Seth Kelsey (25, Brush Prairie, Wash.), Benjamin Solomon (22, Chagrin Falls, Ohio), and Soren Thompson (25, San Diego, Calif.) lost a very tough match to Cuba in their first outing by one touch in a match that went to time (32-31).

And the U.S. women’s foil team of Emily Cross (19, New York, N.Y.), Hanna Thompson (22, Rochester, N.Y.), Doris Willette (18, Lafayette, Calif.), and Iris Zimmermann (25, Rush, N.Y.) lost a very tough fight 36-32 in another match that went to time, vs. Romania, in the round of 16.

In the men’s foil competition, the U.S. team of Jed Dupree (26, New York, N.Y.), Kurt Getz (18, Rye,  N.Y.), Andras Horanyi (19, Boulder, Colo.) and Jon Tiomkin (27, Hewlett, N.Y.) defeated Uzbekistan soundly 45-17 before falling to Japan, 45-35 in the round of 16.

U.S. Wheelchair athletes also scored a tremendous victory in the Wheelchair World Fencing Championships, held concurrently in Turin.

Curtis Lovejoy (49, Atlanta, Georgia) won the gold medal in the Cat. C Men's Foil competition.

Lovejoy, also a bronze medalist in swimming at the 2004 Paralympic Games, holds multiple World and U.S. records in swimming and multiple cup and championship medals in fencing, as well.

Complete Results are available at www.escrime-torino2006.com.

Women's Saber Team
19 teams
1. France
2. USA:
JACOBSON Sada (23, Dunwoody, Ga./Nellya Fencers) THOMPSON Caitlin (19, Portland, Ore./ Ore. Fenc. Alliance/Penn State '09) WARD Rebecca (16, Portland, Ore./Ore. Fenc. Alliance) ZAGUNIS Mariel (21, Beaverton, Ore./ Ore. Fenc. Alliance /Notre Dame '08) 3. Russia

Women's Foil Team
18 teams
1. Russia
2. Italy
3. South Korea
15. U.S. A.:
Emily Cross (19, New York, N.Y./Fencers Club/Harvard '08) Hanna Thompson (22, Rochester, N.Y./Rochester F.C.) Doris Willette (18, Lafayette, Calif./Golden Gate/Penn State '10) Iris Zimmermann (25, Rush, N.Y./Rochester F.C.)

Women's Epee Team
10 teams
1. China
2. France
3. Germany
17. U.S.:
Lacey Burt (21, Sherwood, Ore./NorthWest F.C.) Courtney Hurley (16, San Antonio, Texas/Team Hurley) Kelley Hurley (17, San Antonio, Texas/Team Hurley/Notre Dame '10) Maya Lawrence (26, Teaneck, N.J./Fencers Club)

Men's Epee Team
34 teams
1. France
2. Spain
3. Ukraine
19. U.S. A.:
Benjamin Bratton (21, Richmond Hill, N.Y./Westbrook Found./St. John's '07) Seth Kelsey  (25, Brush Prairie, Wash./NYAC) Benjamin Solomon (22, Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Alcazar) Soren Thompson (25, San Diego, Calif./NYAC)

Men's Saber Team
23 teams
1. France
2. Ukraine
3. Russia
11. U.S.A.
Ivan Lee (25, Brooklyn, N.Y./Westbrook Found.) Keeth Smart (28 Brooklyn, N.Y./Westbrook Found.) Tim Morehouse (28, Bronx, N.Y./Fencers Club) James Williams (21, Sacramento, Calif./Fencers Club/Columbia '08)

Men's Foil
25 teams
1. France
2. Germany
3. Italy
10 U.S.A.:
Jed Dupree  (26, New York, N.Y./Fencers Club) Kurt Getz (18, Rye,  N.Y./Fenc. Acad. Westchester/Columbia '10) Andras Horanyi (19, Boulder, Colo./Colo. Fencers/Ohio State '08) Jon Tiomkin (27, Hewlett, N.Y./Fencers Club)