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# Touché! Park Slope Neighbor And Fencer Race Imboden Takes Home The Bronze In Rio
- URL: https://bklyner.com/touche-park-slope-neighbor-fencer-race-imboden-takes-home-bronze-rio-parkslopestoop/
- Published: 2016-08-15T15:21:06.000Z
- Updated: 2016-08-15T15:37:22.000Z
- Author: Donny Levit
- Tags: Neighbors, Nonsponsored, North Western Brooklyn, Park Slope, Sports, bronze medal, fencer, Race Imboden, rio olympics, #wp

![race imboden](/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/race-imboden-702x366.jpg)

Photo via [Race Imboden/Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/RaceImboden/photos/a.311448995589349.73933.192423840825199/839782402756003/?type=1&theater)

Don’t be surprised if the local clothing stores start selling [lamés](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lam%C3%A9%5F%28fencing%29?ref=bklyner.com). Because Park Slope may start to become a fencing outpost.

And we have Slope neighbor [Race Imboden](http://www.usfencing.org/page/show/707560-race-imboden?ref=bklyner.com) to thank, who [won a fencing bronze medal at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro](http://www.usfencing.org/news%5Farticle/show/678922?referrer%5Fid=693645&ref=bklyner.com) along with the U.S. Men’s Foiling Team.

> Enjoying our medals at the [@TeamUSA](https://twitter.com/TeamUSA?ref=bklyner.com) House [#Rio2016](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rio2016?src=hash&ref=bklyner.com) [@MChamleyWatson](https://twitter.com/MChamleyWatson?ref=bklyner.com) [@AMassialas](https://twitter.com/AMassialas?ref=bklyner.com) [@Race\_Imboden](https://twitter.com/Race%5FImboden?ref=bklyner.com) [pic.twitter.com/7TW3F6wNRA](https://t.co/7TW3F6wNRA?ref=bklyner.com)
> 
> — Gerek Meinhardt (@GerekMeinhardt) [August 13, 2016](https://twitter.com/GerekMeinhardt/status/764493808562270208?ref=bklyner.com)

It wasn’t easy: they had to get past Italy, the reigning World and Olympic Champions. The U.S. Men’s team won by 45-31 on Friday, August 12.

“I AM AN OLYMPIC MEDALIST…. Better yet WE ARE OLYMPIC MEDALISTS,” 23-year-old [Imboden tweeted](https://twitter.com/Race%5FImboden/status/764214521456132096?ref=bklyner.com) soon after the team’s victory.

The U.S. Men’s Foil team last took home an a Olympic Bronze medal way back in 1932.

Left-handed Imboden was born in Tampa, Florida in 1993, but his parents moved up to Park Slope when he was about 11 years old. He studied at [The Fencer’s Club](http://fencersclub.org/?ref=bklyner.com) in Manhattan. Boden met Olympic teammate Miles Chamley-Watson at the club, where they both studied together. Chamley-Watson is from Manhattan.

Imboden is currently based and trains in Los Angeles.

![u.s. men's foil team](/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/u.s.-mens-foil-team-702x457.jpg)

The United States’ men foil team (from left to right, Alexander Massialas, Gerek Meinhardt, Miles Chamley-Watson, and Race Imboden) stand on the podium of the 2013 World Fencing Championships 2013 at Syma Hall in Budapest, 12 August 2013\. (Photo via [Wikimedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race%5FImboden?ref=bklyner.com#/media/File:USA%5Fpodium%5F2013%5FFencing%5FWCH%5FFMS-EQ%5Ft213631.jpg))

[The Daily News](http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more-sports/chamley-watson-imboden-win-fencing-bronze-article-1.2749223?ref=bklyner.com) reports there was some trash-talking against the the U.S. team during the competition:

> ‘With roughly four hours to kill between bouts, the Americans went on their phones and discovered what they called a series of ‘mean tweets’ about their performance against the Russians. \[The U.S. team lost to the Russians in the semi-finals.\]

> Instead of bringing them down, Chamley-Watson said the criticism brought the team closer together — even joking that ‘the haters were motivators.'”

The [USA Fencing team website](http://www.usfencing.org/page/show/707560-race-imboden?ref=bklyner.com) notes that “when not competing on the world’s stage, Imboden has traveled the globe as a top runway model, walking for labels such as Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton.”

[Curious about his wild name](https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/olympics-fourth-place-medal/race-imboden-u-fencing-rising-star-brooklyn-hipster-095758590--oly.html?ref=bklyner.com)? His father named him after [Jonny Quest](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057730/?ref=bklyner.com) character Race Bannon.

“For the first time, the U.S.A. is a powerhouse in fencing. It never has been before,” said Imboden. “For us to come together and have each other’s backs, it just proves that it’s not a fluke anymore.”