Soren Thompson

Thompson captured one of the two epee slots for the United States by placing 12th at the Paris Epee World Cup, earning his second trip to the Olympics. Ranked 11th in the world, the five-time senior world championship team member finished seventh in the 2004 Athens Games while placing sixth in the team competition. He’ll be making his return to the Olympics after the United States epee team failed to qualify for Beijing in 2008, and his trip to London is likely all the more satisfying given that men’s epee won’t be contested as a team event. Thompson surged to the berth with a big 2011, winning individual gold at the Pan American Championships and a bronze at the Stockholm Grand Prix while finishing 16th at the senior world championships, which kept him in the top 12 of the Adjusted Olympic Rankings. He also garnered gold medals in team competition at the Pan American Championships and Pan American Games. Thompson’s successful 2011 came after he returned to international competition in May of that year after battling through injuries during the 2008 Olympic qualification season. He made his comeback with an eye on making it to London.