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Notre Dame's 5-time fencing Olympian Zagunis eliminated in the quarterfinals

Mariel Zagunis was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the women’s saber at the Tokyo Games.

Credit: AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

Fencer Mariel Zagunis poses for photos at the 2016 Team USA Media Summit Monday, March 7, 2016, in Beverly Hills, Calif.

TOKYO, Japan — Five-time Olympian Mariel Zagunis was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the women’s saber at the Tokyo Games, but is still looking to the future.

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The two-time champion, who attended the University of Notre Dame, is competing at her fifth Olympics.

She’s looking ahead to another medal shot in the team event. A possible sixth trip for the 2024 Paris Games could also be in her future.

Credit: AP Photo/Andrew Medichini

Mariel Zagunis of the United States, left, and Sofya Velikaya of the Russian Olympic Committee compete in the women's individual Sabre quarterfinal competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Monday, July 26, 2021, in Chiba, Japan.

The year-long delay caused by the coronavirus pandemic was a major frustration for Zagunis as she waited to see if the Tokyo Olympics would go ahead.

Now it means only a three-year wait for Paris.

Her fellow University of Notre Dame fencers also struggled. Gerek Meinhardt lost his opening bout. Nick Itkin beat Russian fencer Anton Borodachev, but then lost to his twin brother Kirill Borodachev in the next round.