The Pan-American Senior Championships for fencing finished up last week, and MapSO residents Andrew Doddo and Jackie Dubrovich snagged two gold medals and one silver respectively.
Both fencers train at the New Jersey Fencing Alliance in Maplewood.
The event took place in Lima, Perú and hosted competitors from across North and South America. The Pan-American Championships are one of four zonal championships (alongside Africa, Asia, and Europe) which determine the fencers who will qualify for the Senior World Championships.
Andrew Doddo, a Columbia High School alumnae, took first place in the Men’s Individual Sabre event, beating out Jose Quintero of Venezuela 15-9. Doddo also won first in the Men’s Team Sabre event, where he helped take down Canada in a close 45-40 match.
Andrew Doddo at the 2023 Pan-American Championships
When asked how he felt about his victory, Doddo responded, “I’m excited to have established myself as a dominant force in my zone, but the World Championships is where I really want to make an impact.”
As a candidate for the 2024 U.S. Olympic team, Doddo is determined to maintain the same level of performance he showed at the Pan-American Championships in his upcoming tournaments.
Jackie Dubrovich, a resident of Maplewood and member of the 2020 U.S. Olympic team, took second place in the Women’s Team Foil event where the U.S. narrowly lost to Canada 43-45.
Jackie Dubrovich (third from left) with her teammates at the 2023 Pan-American Championships
“The Pan-American Championships were the last grueling competition before world championships, and I was disappointed in my performance overall,” said Dubrovich who came 6th overall in the Women’s Foil Individual Event. “However, I was able to implement some of the skills I’ve been working on in practice, and I’m looking forward to building on that for the World Championships.”
Like Doddo, Dubrovich is hoping to secure her place on the 2024 U.S. Olympic team, which would be her second Olympic games.
Both Doddo and Dubrovich will be heading to Milan for the Senior World Championships from July 22-30. Track their progress and view results on fie.org.
Reporter Susanna Mann is a CHS Class of 2022 graduate; she works part-time at the New Jersey Fencing Alliance when she’s not studying at the University of Toronto.
