The final Olympic qualification tournament arrived in April, held in Athens with a symbolic significance that Coach Kaminski noted during the team's final pre-tournament briefing — the birthplace of the modern Olympic movement itself, hosting the decisive competition that would determine which fencers actually earned the right to compete for their countries at the Games.
"This is what the entire season's been building toward," Coach Kaminski told the assembled team. "Rankings points accumulated across the whole World Cup circuit matter, certainly, but this final qualifier carries disproportionate weight. Strong performance here can still secure qualification even for athletes with modest overall season rankings. Conversely, poor performance here can eliminate athletes who've performed rea
