Erinn Smart
Encyclopedia
Erinn Smart is a U.S. fencer who is a member of the United States Fencing Team at the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing
, where she is competing in the women's individual and team foil
events. Smart is 5 feet, 7 inches tall, weighs 135 pounds, and is coached by Buckie Leach
. Smart's brother Keeth
is also a nationally ranked competitive fencer who also started fencing with the Peter Westbrook Foundation.
, New York
, and lived on Ocean Avenue
in Brooklyn
. Before taking up fencing, she had taken ballet, ice skating, tennis and track. After her father, an employee at Sports Illustrated
, learned about a program aimed at encouraging minority participation in fencing, she began to take up the sport at age 11 at the Peter Westbrook Foundation, whose founder, Olympic saber bronze-medalist Peter Westbrook
, has been her mentor. Her brother Keeth, 18 months her senior, took up the sport six months later.
Smart graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School
, as a chemistry major, in 1997. She attended Barnard College
at Columbia University
in Manhattan
, graduating in 2001 with a degree in economics. She was recognized as an NCAA All-America
n at Columbia. She worked for Lord Abbett
http://www.lordabbett.com, a financial firm, following the 2004 Olympics.
Smart was the United States National Champion in 1998, 2002, 2004 and 2008, and was ranked 11th at the 2003 World Championships. Both Smarts won at the 2004 U.S. Fencing National Championships in Atlanta, Georgia
, with Erinn edging Hanna Thompson
13–11 in the semifinals, and then defeating three-time former Olympian Ann Marsh by 15–7 in the tournament final to take the title.
Smart was selected as an alternate for the United States team at the 2000 Summer Olympics
in Sydney
, Australia
, but did not participate in competition. She outpointed sisters Iris
and Felicia Zimmerman to earn a spot on the United States team at the 2004 Summer Olympics
in Athens
, Greece
.
Both Erinn and her brother Keeth were both part of the United States team at the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing
, China
. Both won silver medals in their team events.
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, where she is competing in the women's individual and team foil
Foil (fencing)
A foil is a type of weapon used in fencing. It is the most common weapon in terms of usage in competition, and is usually the choice for elementary classes for fencing in general.- Components:...
events. Smart is 5 feet, 7 inches tall, weighs 135 pounds, and is coached by Buckie Leach
Buckie Leach
Anthony Buckie Leach is an American foil fencing coach and fencer.He began fencing at age 12 and coaching at age 20. He has been a coach for 25 years and his students have found success on both the national and international level. Buckie's remarkable success with the Rochester Fencing Center...
. Smart's brother Keeth
Keeth Smart
Keeth Thomas Smart is a US sabre fencer who became the first American to gain the sport's #1 ranking for males. He received a silver medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.-Early life and education:...
is also a nationally ranked competitive fencer who also started fencing with the Peter Westbrook Foundation.
Fencing career
Smart was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and lived on Ocean Avenue
Ocean Avenue (Brooklyn)
Ocean Avenue is a major street in Brooklyn, New York that runs generally north-south and occupies the position of East 20th Street in the Brooklyn street grid, with East 19th Street to its west and East 21st Street to its east for most of its path. It runs east of and parallel to Ocean Parkway and...
in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
. Before taking up fencing, she had taken ballet, ice skating, tennis and track. After her father, an employee at Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
, learned about a program aimed at encouraging minority participation in fencing, she began to take up the sport at age 11 at the Peter Westbrook Foundation, whose founder, Olympic saber bronze-medalist Peter Westbrook
Peter Westbrook
Peter Westbrook is a former American sabre fencing champion, active businessman and founder of the Peter Westbrook Foundation....
, has been her mentor. Her brother Keeth, 18 months her senior, took up the sport six months later.
Smart graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School
Brooklyn Technical High School
Brooklyn Technical High School, commonly called Brooklyn Tech or just Tech, and also administratively as High School 430, is a New York City public high school that specializes in engineering, math and science and is the largest specialized high school for science, technology, engineering, and...
, as a chemistry major, in 1997. She attended Barnard College
Barnard College
Barnard College is a private women's liberal arts college and a member of the Seven Sisters. Founded in 1889, Barnard has been affiliated with Columbia University since 1900. The campus stretches along Broadway between 116th and 120th Streets in the Morningside Heights neighborhood in the borough...
at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, graduating in 2001 with a degree in economics. She was recognized as an NCAA All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n at Columbia. She worked for Lord Abbett
Lord Abbett
Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC is an independent, privately held U.S. investment management firm that offers a broad array of equity and fixed-income strategies to individual and institutional investors...
http://www.lordabbett.com, a financial firm, following the 2004 Olympics.
Smart was the United States National Champion in 1998, 2002, 2004 and 2008, and was ranked 11th at the 2003 World Championships. Both Smarts won at the 2004 U.S. Fencing National Championships in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, with Erinn edging Hanna Thompson
Hanna Thompson
Hanna Thompson is an American foil fencer who is a member of the 2008 Olympics U.S. Women's foil team.-Competition Record:* 2008 - Member of the U.S. Olympic Team, Beijing, China...
13–11 in the semifinals, and then defeating three-time former Olympian Ann Marsh by 15–7 in the tournament final to take the title.
Smart was selected as an alternate for the United States team at the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, but did not participate in competition. She outpointed sisters Iris
Iris Zimmerman
Iris Zimmerman is an American fencer. She competed for the United States in the 2000 Summer Olympics in the women's team foil event, although the team did not win a medal. Her sister is Felicia Zimmerman, an Olympic fencer for the United States in 1996 and 2000...
and Felicia Zimmerman to earn a spot on the United States team at the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
Both Erinn and her brother Keeth were both part of the United States team at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Both won silver medals in their team events.