Soren Thompson

Soren Thompson

Personal information
Full name	Soren Hunter Miles Sussman Thompson
Born	(1981-05-05) 5 May 1981 San Diego, California, United States
Sport
Sport	Fencing
Medal record Mens' fencing Representing United States World Championships 2012 Kiev Team épée Representing Princeton University NCAA Fencing Championships 2001 Harvard Individual Épée

Soren Hunter Miles Sussman Thompson (born May 5, 1981) is an American right-handed epee fencer. He represented the United States in the 2004 Olympic Games, where he lost in the quartfinals.

Thompson attended Torrey Pines High School ('99) and Princeton University ('05; Art & Architecture).

Fencing career

Thompson started fencing in a recreational class at the University of California San Diego when he was 7 years old. At age 12 he began commuting over two hours to train in Los Angeles. He eventually rose to become the highest-ranked junior in the United States. Thompson has traveled to over 25 countries for fencing competitions and training.

He currently represents the New York Athletic Club and trains there and at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. His coaches have included Alison Reid, Lisa Posthumus, Gago Demirchian, Yefim Litvan, Michel Sebastiani, Heizaburo Okawa, Abdel Salem, and Michael D'Asaro Sr.

NCAA Championships

Fencing at Princeton under Maitre Michel Sebastiani, Thompson was 2001 NCAA Épée Champion, 2nd in 2002, and 3rd in 2005.

His other NCAA awards include First Team All American in 2001, 2002, and 2005, and Honorary All American in 2003, First Team All-Ivy in 2001–03 and 2005, and Academic All-Ivy in 2005.

In 2005 Princeton awarded him the William Winston Roper Trophy.

Junior National Championships

Thompson won the Junior National Championship in épée three times.

Senior North American Cup

He is a senior NAC champion.

World Cup

Thompson came in 2nd at the 2004 Buenos Aires Senior Épée World Cup.

World Championships

He won the Bronze Medal in the 1999 World Junior Team Championships.

Thompson took 8th in the 2003 World Championships, defeating top seed Ivan Kovacs of Hungary (15–14).

In 2004 Thompson made it as far as the Round of 16 in a field of 171 competitors.

In 2006 he came in 26th in the World Championships in épée.

Olympics

Thompson fenced for the US in the 2004 Olympics, taking 7th place in the individual competition and 5th place in the team competition. Along the way, in the Round of 16, he defeated Alfredo Rota of Italy, the No. 1 ranked épée fencer in the world, 15-13. He then lost 15–11 to the 2000 Olympic gold medallist Pavel Kolobkov of Russia. He became the first American to reach the men’s épée quarterfinals in nearly 50 years.

Pan American Games

Thompson was also a member of the 4th-placed men’s épée team at the 2003 Pan American Games

Maccabiah Games

Thompson, who is Jewish, won a team silver medal at the 2005 17th Maccabiah Games.

Approach to fencing

Thompson's style combines the influences of a half-dozen coaches. Thompson likes to take in an eclectic mix of suggestions and figure out which strategy works best against each opponent. “You’re matching everything you have against everything they have and looking to find a solution,” he says. “It’s very cerebral.”

Miscellaneous

• Thompson is a resident of San Diego, California.

See also

• List of select Jewish fencers

References

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