Sada Jacobson

Sada Jacobson (born February 14, 1983 in Dunwoody, Georgia) is an American fencer. She is the 2008 Olympic Individual Sabre silver medalist and 2004 Olympic Individual Sabre bronze medalist.

Biography

Jacobson is a daughter of David Jacobson, a member of the 1974 U.S. National fencing team in saber and now an endocrinologist, and Tina Jacobson, who has also fenced competitively.

She is the sister of fellow U.S. Olympic team fencer Emily Jacobson, and world-class fencer Jackie Jacobson. [ http://fencing.teamusa.org/athlete/athlete/519]

Jacobson swam competitively for 2 years in high school. [http://www.usoc.org/11817_18764.htm] She postponed her college career to train full-time for the 2004 Summer Olympics.

She graduated with a history degree from Morse College, Yale University.cite news |title=Fencer Jacobson '06 takes silver in Beijing |url=http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/24847 |publisher=Yale Daily News |date= 2008-08-10|accessdate=2008-08-22] She plans to begin law school at the University of Michigan in the fall of 2008. [cite news |first=Dave |last=Sheinin |title=In Fencing, U.S. Women Pull Off Historic Sweep |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/09/AR2008080900921.html?hpid=topnews |publisher=Washington Post |date=2008-08-10 |accessdate=2008-08-22]

She has been coached by Arkady Burdan of Nellya Fencers, and Henry Hartunian at Yale.

Fencing career

Jacobson is a 2-time NCAA saber champion for Yale (2001 and 2002). [http://www.hickoksports.com/history/ncaafencing.shtml] [http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:gawN7Vl2xLsJ:www.southwestfencing.org/01-02/ncaafencing2002NCAA2002.html+Jonathan+Tiomkin+2002+ncaa&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=11&gl=us] She won an NCAA Championship and earned 1st-team All-America honors as a freshman at Yale University, after a 30-0 regular season. Jacobson was 29-1 as a sophomore, and repeated as NCAA champion. In addition, she was the 2001 Under-19 National Champion.

Jacobson is a 4-time Senior World Championships team member (2000-03). She was a member of the gold-medal 2000 Women's Sabre World Championship team at the age of 17. She won another bronze medal at the 2006 World Fencing Championships sabre competition.

In her first individual World Championships in 2001, Jacobson placed 12th. She placed 5th in 2002 and 2003.

Jacobson won the gold medal in sabre at the 2003 Pan American Games. [http://www.hickoksports.com/history/panamfencing.shtml]

Jacobson won the US women's sabre championship in 2004 and 2006. [http://www.hickoksports.com/history/usfencingchamps.shtml#wsabre] She was ranked # 1 in the US from June 2003 through October 2005.Fact|date=August 2008 In 2004 she became the first U.S. woman to be ranked No. 1 in the world in sabre, and only the second U.S. athlete to claim the title, after male fencer Keeth Smart. [http://www.usoc.org/26_1150.htm] ] [http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:VfPBpUfpJbsJ:www.fencingmedia.org/viewathlete.asp%3Fweapon%3DWS+jewish+fencer+%22united+states%22+epee&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=12] [http://www.usoc.org/11817_18764.htm]

2004 Athens Olympics

In 2004, she took a leave of absence from Yale University and qualified for the U.S. Olympic team. That year was the first in which women's individual sabre was contested at an Olympic Games.

At the Olympics, Jacobson beat Miclin Faez 15-4, in the round of 16. She beat Leonore Perrus in the quarterfinals 15-11 to advance to the semifinals. She lost to Tan Xue 15-12 in the semis. On August 17th, she won the bronze medal by beating Catalina Gheorhitoaia 15-7. That match took place before the gold-silver match, and therefore Jacobsen became the first women's sabre Olympic medalist. [http://www.ivy50.com/womens/story.aspx?sid=2/15/2007] [http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/athens2004/fencing/results?day=17]

2008 Beijing Olympics

At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Jacobson was named the top seed. [http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=olymp/news/news.aspx?id=4170024] She beat Mailyn Gonzalez Pozo, 15-11, in the round of 32. In the round of 16, she trailed Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan 8-5, but came back to win 15-13. In the quarterfinals, she beat Elena Khomrova 15-11.

Entering the semifinals, all three American fencers were still in the tournament. In the semifinals, Jacobson again trailed 8-5 at the break, but came back with 10 out of the final 13 touches in the bout, and defeated Sofiya Velikaya 15-11, assuring Jacobson of at least the silver medal. In the final, Jacobson lost to defending gold medalist, Mariel Zagunis, 15-8, and won the silver medal. [http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=olymp/news/news.aspx?id=4170320] . The United States swept the event, with Zagunis winning the gold, Jacobson the silver, and Rebecca Ward the bronze. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/09/AR2008080900921.html?hpid=topnews]

In the women's sabre team event, the US was heavily favored to win the team event. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/feedarticle/7708520] [http://www.courant.com/sports/other/hc-jeffcol0810.artaug10,0,4601492.column?page=2] . Jacobson teamed up with Zagunis and Ward to defeat the South African team in the quarterfinals, 45-8. [http://www.nbcolympics.com/fencing/resultsandschedules/rsc=FEW403300/index.html]

In the Semifinals, they fenced the team from the Ukraine. The Ukranian side, seeded fifth in the tournament, defeated the favored US team 45-39 , denying them a gold medal, and placing them in the bronze medal bout against France. [http://www.nbcolympics.com/fencing/resultsandschedules/rsc=FEW403200/index.html]

The USA team rebounded from their semifinal loss, by defeating the French team 45-38, so Jacobson had a bronze medal to go with her silver medal from the individual competition. [http://www.nbcolympics.com/fencing/resultsandschedules/rsc=FEW403100/index.html]

Post Fencing Career

Jacobson has indicated that she intends to retire from competitive fencing after the 2008 Olympic competitions conclude, and plans to focus on law school, and starting life with her fiance. [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26135457/]

Awards

*Jacobson, who is Jewish, received the Marty Glickman Award for the Outstanding Jewish Scholastic Athlete of the Year in both 2002 and 2005. [http://www.jewishsports.org/jewishsports/detail.asp?sp=169]

*She was also named Academic All-Ivy League for the spring of 2002.

*In 2003 Jacobson was named the U.S. Fencer of the Year.

*In 2003, she was inducted in the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, which recognizes outstanding Jewish athletes. [http://www.fau.edu/library/br153.htm]

References

* [http://iviesinchina.com/2008/08/14/jacobson-and-us-teammates-take-bronze/ Jacobson and U.S. Teammates Take Bronze]
* [http://iviesinchina.com/2008/08/09/yales-jacobson-wins-first-ivy-medal-in-beijing/ Jacobson Wins First Ivy Medal in Beijing]

External links

* [http://www.databaseolympics.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=JACOBSAD01 Olympic results]
*
* [http://www.fencingmedia.org/viewathlete.asp?name=sada_jacobson Fencing Media bio]
* [http://www.nahouw.net/rnk_rfn/1319/JACOBSON_Sada.html Rankings]