PARIS, France – Stanford men's fencer Alexander Massialas claimed another medal for his trophy case on Saturday night by winning his first Paris world cup gold.
The fifth-year senior from San Francisco, ranked No. 1 in the world in foil, scored six victories during the competition, beating fourth-ranked Giorgio Avola of France, 15-11 in the semifinals, and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Timur Safin of Russia in the finals during an epic battle, 15-14.
Massialas, a two-time Olympian, captured two medals in Rio last summer, earning silver in men's foil, the first medal by an American fencer since 1984, and secured bronze in the men's team foil, the first medal in the event by Team USA since 1932.
A mechanical engineering major, Massialas is a two-time NCAA men's foil champion and three-time First Team All-American. He is expected to compete for the Cardinal at the Northwestern Duals on Feb. 4-5 in South Bend, Indiana.