Silver for saber team

Keeth Smart was the hero and Brentwood's Jason Rogers was absent from the gold medal saber match. But the United States won its first Olympic medal in saber competition since 1948.
James Williams fenced in place of Rogers in the gold medal match against France, which won 45-37. Apparently the fencing coaches wanted Williams to win an Olympic medal and changed its lineup against France. Rogers was the No. 3 fencer for the U.S. fencing team in its first two matches against Hungary and Russia.
Smart had to rally the United States in both its matches against Hungary and Russia. The U.S. was trailing both matches entering the final rounds. Smart fenced the United States to one-point victories in each.
"That was the exact opposite of the bronze-medal match at Athens (2004 Olympic Games)," said Tim Morehouse, another member of the United States saber team. "At that match we were up, Keeth versus (Russian Stanislav) Pozdnyakov and Pozdnyakov came back and won. This time we were down 35-40 and Keeth came back and won. Keeth hit the equivalent of two grand slams in the bottom of the ninth today. He's been holding down U.S. Fencing for so long. I'm so happy for Keeth."
Rogers was on the 2004 saber team in Athens that finished fourth and out of the medals. He didn't want to see a repeat of those Games.
"I think we were just bracing ourselves," said Rogers. "I have to give it to Keeth. He was a hero today."