May 15, 2001
Notre Dame two-time All-America fencer Jan Viviani has a busy summer ahead of him. Three weeks after fencing in the prestigious World Junior Championships, Viviani now is preparing to take a step up in the world of international fencing competition.
Viviani recently returned from Gdansk, Poland, after representing the United States in the 2001 World Under-20 Championships. The competition ran from April 9-16 and featured the world’s elite fencers.
He now moves into the highest level of competition (20 years and older)-culminating in two Senior World Cup events: the Ramon Fonst Tournament in Havana, Cuba (June 23-24) and the International Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico (June 30-July 1).
Viviani will also participate in an extensive six-days-a-week training schedule until the beginning of the U.S. National Championships, which will be held July 3-11 in Sacramento, Calif.
Viviani lost a key bout at the World Juniors to the eventual bronze medal winner, with Viviani receiving a red card in the decisive 14-14 point. His U.S. teammates amassed four gold medals, three silver medals and two bronze medals in the championships.
“It was a great experience,” said Viviani, who has finished third in the NCAA Championship epee competition during his first two seasons. “It was another way of discovering what I have to work on to become a better fencer for next year.”
Viviani was selected to the U.S. team based on his list of accomplishments at Notre Dame and in various international competitions. He has been a finalist in three Junior World Cup competitions within the last four months, fencing in Italy, Cuba, and Spain.
He heads into his junior season at Notre Dame with an .872 career winning percentage (75-11) that ranks first all-time among Irish men’s epeeists. He posted a 44-4 record in the 2001 season before repeating as a first team All-American with his third-place NCAA finish.