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Fencing 1988 Olympics Women's Foil team event. Federal Republic of Germany versus Italy.

FRGermany: Sabine Bau (1988 Silver Medal winner), Anja Fichtel (1998 Gold Medal winner), Zita Funkenhauser (1988 Bronze Medal winner), Annette Klug, Christiane Weber. Italy: F. Bortolozzi, A. Gandolfi, Lucia Traversa, D. Vaccaroni, Margarita Zalaffi.

You'll be reminded by the wild cheering that the late 80's was a new high for German fencing. They were trouncing everybody with new, unorthodox flicks and marching time attacks. There's a mystique about the German team, so frightfully effective, and the crowd loves them. Sabine Bau used to get marriage proposals in the mail from admirers.

Italy comes on strong in the first bout, with Germany down 4-1, and Bau must claw her way back up. This team match is following 1988 rules -- sets of short, 5 touch bouts where the score doesn't accrue. The Germans pull ahead early in the match... but this only has the effect of firing the Italians up.

The Italians eventually reverse their win/loss ratio, and gouge their way back to relevancy -- but are they too late? Most of the bouts are fought to a nail biting 4-4, and each bout is more emotional and hard-fought then the last. The first team to gain 9 victories wins the match. It's safe to say, that the Team Gold Medal is contested hotly until the very end.