Dagmara Wozniak
Dagmara "Daga" Wozniak (Woźniak) (born July 1, 1988) is an American saber fencer.[1] Wozniak was named to the U.S. Olympic team at the 2008 Summer Olympics in women's saber competition as a substitute and as a competitor at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics.[2][3][4]
Dagmara Wozniak | |
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![]() Wozniak at the 2013 World Fencing Championships | |
Personal information | |
Nickname(s) | Daga[1] |
Born | Wrocław, Poland | July 1, 1988
Height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) |
Weight | 180 lb (82 kg; 13 st) |
Sport | |
Country | United States |
Sport | Fencing |
Weapon | Saber |
Club | Manhattan Fencing Center |
Head coach | Yury Gelman |
FIE ranking | Current ranking |
Domestic ranking | External Link |
Medal record | ||
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Women's fencing | ||
Representing the ![]() | ||
Olympic Games | ||
![]() | 2016 Rio de Janeiro | Team |
World Championships | ||
![]() | 2014 Kazan | Team |
![]() | 2011 Catania | Team |
![]() | 2013 Budapest | Team |
![]() | 2015 Moscow | Team |
As of the summer of 2016, she was ranked as one of the top 10 saber fencers in the world.[5]
Early life and education
Her parents are Gregory and Irena Wozniak and she has an older sister, Zuzanna.[4] Born in Wrocław, Poland, when Wozniak was one year old, she immigrated to the United States with her parents. The family settled in Avenel, New Jersey, Wozniak's hometown.[4][5][6]
Wozniak graduated from Colonia High School in Woodbridge Township, New Jersey in 2006.[6] She went on to attend St. John's University, where she majored in Biology.[7]
Fencing career
Wozniak began fencing at age 9 at the Polish American Fencing School (PAFS) in Linden, New Jersey.[8][5][6] She has trained at the Manhattan Fencing Center since high school, and her coach is Yury Gelman.[4][6] She won three team medals at the Junior World Fencing Championships.[5]
Wozniak was an Olympic alternate in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing but did not compete. She became a full member of the U.S. team at the 2012 Olympic Games and placed eighth, losing to Sofiya Velikaya of Russia in the quarterfinals by the score of 15-13.[3][5][6][6] It was later revealed that she had fenced with a partially torn Achilles tendon.[6]
After winning bronze medals in the team competition at the 2011 World Fencing Championships, and the 2012 and 2013 Senior World Championships, Wozniak won a gold medal with Team USA in 2014.[5]
As of the summer of 2016, she was ranked among the top 10 saber fencers in the world.[5] She represented the United States at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.[4] The team won a bronze medal.
References
- London Olympics: Dagmara Wozniak's stab just misses mark | NJ.com
- The 2008 Olympic Fencing Team
- Orr, Conor (July 25, 2012). "Olympics 2012: Fencer Dagmara Wozniak, an Avenel native, flourished with work ethic learned from immigrant parents". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved 2012-07-25.
- Dagmara Wozniak
- Dagmara Wozniak
- Dagmara Wozniak Rides Passion for Fencing to the Olympic Games - Woodbridge, NJ Patch
- Chang, Kathy. "Young fencer enjoys living on the edge: Woodbridge resident hoping for a spot on 2008 Olympic team", Woodbridge Sentinel, August 16, 2006. Accessed July 8, 2008. "Wozniak graduated from Colonia High School in June. She heads to St. John's University in Queens, N.Y., this fall on a full athletic scholarship."
- Tufaro, Greg. "Fencing for gold: Colonia's Wozniak will represent U.S. in saber competition in Beijing Olympics", Asbury Park Press, July 24, 2008. Accessed July 26, 2008.
External links
- Wozniak on Twitter
- Wozniak on Facebook
- Orr, Conor (July 25, 2012). "Olympics 2012: Fencer Dagmara Wozniak, an Avenel native, flourished with work ethic learned from immigrant parents". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved 2012-07-25.
- "'Pretty Powerful': The Olympic Fencer Dagmara Wozniak's Fierce Beauty", Allure, July 28, 2016 (video)