Veteran Fencing World Championship Medalist From Edgewater

Provided by D.C. Fencers Club:

On Friday, October 23, Kazimieras “Kaz” Campe, 78, of Edgewater, Maryland won bronze in Veteran 70 Men’s Epee at the Veteran Fencing World Championships, in Limoges, France. The event, which took place October 20 – 26, featured competitions in all three weapons – epee, foil and saber – with athletes going for gold in the 50-59, 60-69 and +70 categories as well as men’s and women’s team events for each weapon.

Kaz Campe is one of the most senior members of the 70 American fencers who represented Team USA at “Vet Worlds.” Seventeen years ago, Campe made history when he became the first American fencer to win a gold medal at a World Championship, when he took gold in Men’s 60+ epee at the 1998 Veteran Worlds in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.

Cample’s biggest takeaway from this year’s Worlds? “This year’s competition was tougher than ever. I felt it, and it was repeated by several other fencers from other countries.” Campe also thanked his coaches, DC Fencers Club Head Coach Janusz Smolenski, and DCFC Coach Robert Suchorski. “Their coaching prowess is tops,” he added.

Campe was selected to represent Team USA at the 2015 Vet Worlds based on his best two out of three results from the 2014-2015 season; these include a bronze in the Vet 70 Men’s Epee event at the December 2014 North American Cup, and a top eight spot at the 2015 Summer National Championships. A retired nuclear engineer, this was Campe’s 13th time at Veteran Worlds.

Campe’s weapon, epee, is based on the dueling rapier sword; as with a traditional duel, the whole body is the target. At his Vet Worlds event, Campe was seeded 16th out of pools, and advanced straight through four direct elimination bouts, missing the finals round by one point, in an 8-9 semifinal bout against William Osbaldeston of Great Britain.

Campe is a member of DC Fencers Club in Silver Spring, MD, and was joined by fellow DCFC member and three-time Vet Worlds competitor Valerie Asher of Bethesda, MD, who took 14th place in the Vet 50 Women’s Epee event.

Read more at dcfencing.com.