Fencing preview: Vezzali leads Italy8217;s charge

Vezzali is the reigning queen of the piste,the most decorated female fencer in history.

Already extraordinary,Italy8217;s Valentina Vezzali and the United States8217; Mariel Zagunis will try to go one better at the London Olympic games and make deeper marks in the fencing record books.

Vezzali,38,is the reigning queen of the piste,the most decorated female fencer in history and marking her fifth Olympics. The current world champion,she will carry Italy8217;s flag into the Olympic stadium on July 27 before seeking her fourth successive gold medal in women8217;s individual foil the next day.

I am aware that I will be the athlete to beat. But this has been so for years and also gives me strength and motivation,Vezzali she said.

Ranked number one in the Federation Internationale d 8216;Escrime FIE standings,she is at the heart of a deep Italian squad that includes current men8217;s foil,epee,and sabre world champions.

Italian men8217;s foilist Andrea Baldini gets a chance at Olympic glory after a failed drug test killed his Beijing dreams. Baldini protested his innocence and the FIE noted an Italian prosecutor deemed an unidentified third party was responsible for his unknowingly ingesting a banned substance. Sanctioned with ineligibility for six months,he returned to win the 2009 world title.

Mariel Zagunis,27,the world number one in women8217;s sabre,is the only U.S. fencer to earn Olympic gold 8211; and has done it twice. Her triumphs in Athens and Beijing,where she led an American 1-2-3,helped elevate fencing8217;s low profile in the country.

With six medals in 2008,the U.S. hopes to solidify top-tier status in London against dominant Europeans and Asian powers China and South Korea.

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Russia seeks to regain their control of the men8217;s sabre with a Frenchman8217;s help.

In Athens,Christian Bauer coached Italy8217;s Aldo Montano,currently world champion,to gold then coached China8217;s Zhong Man to Beijing gold,

Zhong will try to repeat in London but his former coach will now be working with Russia8217;s world number two Alexey Yakimenko and his team mates.

Foil is the lightest of the three weapons,with valid touches,or points,made with the blade8217;s tip on an opponent8217;s torso. In sabre,points are scored with the tip or slash of the blade from the waist up. Rules govern who has the right of way,or advantage,in foil and sabre. In epee,valid touches go to the first to hit with the tip anywhere on the body.

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Fencing has been contested at every modern era games since the first in 1896. The 212 competitors will vie for 10 gold medals in individual and team events.