USC FENCING
Janice Romary
While her longevity is unusual, fencers as a group tend to have longer careers than other athletes because of the sport's mental component.
"Fencing is like a physical chess game," she says. "You must think ahead to third and fourth intentions. As you get older, your physical ability may diminish, but you mature mentally. You compensate by out-thinking your opponent."
As recognition for her extraordinary streak of Olympic appearances, Romary was honored at the Mexico City Olympics in 1968 by being the first woman to carry the flag for the United States.
Romary's association with the Olympics and the sport of fencing continued well beyond her Olympic competition. She was women's administrator for the United States Olympic Committee for the Montreal Olympics in 1976, responsible for all U.S. women competitors, and she was commissioner of fencing for the Los Angeles Olympic Games.
Jan Romary attended USC from 1946-1949.
Three-time national champion
women's foil team - Bernadine Meislahn, Marion Washko, Polly Craus, Deidre
Gale, and Jan Romary, with their coach, Ralph Faulkner
The Gold-Medal-winning
1967 Pan-American Foil Team. From L to R: Veronica Smith, Harriet King,
Jan Romary and Maxine Mitchell
Jan Romary becomes the
first woman to carry the American Flag in an Olympic Opening Ceremony
at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City
Commissioner
of Fencing for the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles
"Sam the Eagle,"
the official Los Angeles Olympics Mascot, in his fencing gear
Jan Romary teaches Sam
the Eagle how to fence
Jan Romary and Peter
Ueberroth, President of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizational Committee
Jan Romary celebrates
by cutting the cake
Acknowledgements: Special
thanks to USC Archives, Westside Fencing Center, Dan Avila, and Carlos
Fuertes for photos
Questions or Comments?
Email us at fencing@usc.edu