Philadelphia fencer to compete in Paris Summer Olympics
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Philly native Maia Weintraub. Photo: Al Bello/Getty
A 21-year-old fencer from Philly is heading to the Olympic Games this July.
Why it matters: Maia Weintraub is among a handful of local athletes to root for in the Summer Olympics in Paris and comes after no city natives made it to the 2022 Winter Games.
The big picture: About 10,500 athletes will compete in the games, which run July 26-Aug. 11.
- This summer, an equal number of men and women athletes are competing for the first time in Olympic history.
State of play: Weintraub is joining Team USA women's foil fencing team as a "replacement athlete" — or substitute.
Zoom in: Weintraub got her start in the sport around 8 years old at West Philly's Fencing Academy of Philadelphia.
- A graduate of Friends Select School in Logan Square, Weintraub now attends Princeton University.
What she's saying: Weintraub tells Axios she's looking forward to competing at the highest level with her teammates.
- "Knowing that the people I'm close to, and my parents as well, would come physically to experience the moment with me, definitely means a lot," she says.
By the numbers: The right-hander is ranked 11th in the world for women in foil, per FIE International Fencing Federation.
- She's the highest-ranked American in foil behind No. 1 Lee Kiefer, who is also on Team USA.
🤺 How it works: The sport has its roots in dueling and comes in three variations: foil, épée and sabre.
- The goal: Score points via strikes with the tip of the blade on an opponent, although rules and weapons vary by discipline.
- Vests with electronic sensors help officials determine who landed the first hit.
Zoom out: Fencing is growing in popularity in the U.S., Axios' Torey Van Oot writes.
- USA Fencing added more than 10,000 youth members since the 2016-2017 season, a 68% increase.
🏅 Fun fact: Weintraub has taken home medals in several tournaments over the years, including gold at the Foil World Cup in the women's individual event in Hong Kong last month.