Fencing

Russia held out as long as she could in the gold medal team foil final against Italy's Valentina Vezzali. The crowd's chants of 'Forza Italia!' rallied her to victory from the start of the match as she and teammates Elisa Di Francisca and Arianna Errigo held tight control over team Russia.

Hopefully now that Italy won another gold other certain staff members of Roflympics can quit it with the Italy jokes in the daily Medal Round-Up. Not that I'm naming names or anything.

Maybe I just don't understand the rules of fencing, but this isn't normal right?

Ruben Limardo just won Venezuela's first gold medal in over FORTY YEARS and their FIRST EVER fencing medal!

Limardo won in the Men's Individual Epee. CONGRATULATIONS, VENEZUELA!

If you'll remember from a couple days ago, an inconsolable Shin A Lam refused to leave the piste after a judge ruled that time had actually not expired (after it almost definitely had), leading to her opponent scoring another point to win the semifinal match.

Fencing's governing body then offered to award Lam a "special medal" recognizing her "aspiration to win and respect for the rules." In response, Lam promptly told them they could take their special medal and shove it.

"It does not make me feel better because it's not an Olympic medal. I don't accept the result because I believe it was a mistake."

The Korean team filed a protest to no avail, stating that they "can't agree with the decision of the referee."

A timing error in the last second of the gold medal bout between South Korean Shin A Lam and German Britta Heidemann led to a twenty minute delay and Shin refusing to leave the piste.

Heidemann needed a touch on Lam to win. Shin would have advanced if the round had tied. The clock got stuck at 1, and Heidemann used the extra seconds to score. Officials then congregated for an extended period of time, and eventually awarded the win to the German.

Lam was inconsolable, and refused to leave until she was escorted out. The Korean team is submitting an appeal.

Fun fact: In order to submit an appeal to the Olympic committee, you have to pay a cash deposit. Cash deposit must be submitted by mahogany chest in a drawn horse and carriage. Because we live in 1908.

Anyone else see it? Just me? No?

THEN PUT ON SOME DAFT PUNK IN THE BACKGROUND AND TELL ME OTHERWISE.

Anyhoo, it's the gold medal match for Men's Individual Sabre between Occhuzzi of Italy and Szilagyi of Hungary. Szilagyi is about to walk away with the gold after a bold and brilliantly-lit battle. After capitalizing on his opponent's worsening cramp, he parried his way to victory.