NEW YORK, April 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Today, Race Imbodeen, 2011 graduate of The Dwight School, was officially named to the United States Olympic Team by the US Fencing Association. After the fourth World Cup event, he mathematically qualified for the Olympics in Men's Foil based on his high team rankings. Mr. Imboden is currently #6 in the FIE (Federation Internationale d'Escrime) World Senior Rankings, #2 in the USA Fencing Division I (Senior), and #2 in the USA Fencing Under 19 Division (Junior).
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"I couldn't be more excited and honored to be competing as a member of Team USA, especially in London because my mother's home country is England. For nine years, I have been working toward this goal with the amazing support and sacrifice of my parents to whom I'm eternally grateful. I'm also grateful to The Dwight School, which helped me to achieve my dream of competing in the Olympics by allowing me the time and flexibility to train, travel the world, and compete while I was a student," said Mr. Imboden.
The Dwight School, located on Manhattan's Upper West Side, is dedicated to creating world leaders through academic excellence. Dwight offers scholar-athletes like Mr. Imboden the ability to pursue their passion of competing at high levels while still meeting the rigorous demands of the School's International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum. Mr. Imboden selected Dwight because of its focus on personalized learning, which is one of the School's three pillars, along with global vision and community service.
"All of us at Dwight are so proud of Race's stellar accomplishments and extend our congratulations. We're committed to nurturing every student's unique 'spark of genius,' and Race represents an elite athlete, excellent student, and the very best of those who aspire to be champions. The Dwight family will be glued to the screen when Race competes this summer in London," said Chancellor Stephen Spahn, the longest running head of school in New York City.
Mr. Imboden, who trains at the Empire United Fencing Club in New York City with former Olympian Jed Dupree as his coach, took up fencing at nine after a childhood fascination with swordplay. When a stranger saw the young Imboden playing with toy swords in a park, he suggested to his parents that he might enjoy the sport. By 16, Mr. Imboden had qualified for his first major international team, earning a bronze medal at the 2010 Cadet World Championships. Earlier this month, he was a member of the US Junior World Team that made history by winning gold for the third year in a row. In January at age 18, Mr. Imboden was one of the youngest competitors to medal in Senior World Cup competition, was named to his first senior US team, and rose to the sixth best in the world - all within a matter of months.
After graduating from Dwight, Mr. Imboden took a gap year to fence full-time. This fall, he will attend Notre Dame.
About The Dwight School
Established in 1872, Dwight is an independent school and was the first school in the US to adopt the full International Baccalaureate program for students from Pre-K-12th grade. It's the flagship of The Dwight Family of Schools, which includes campuses in London, Vancouver Island, Beijing, and Seoul, opening fall 2012. Dwight graduates attend leading colleges and universities, including Harvard, Yale, MIT, Princeton, and Oxford. www.dwight.edu
SOURCE The Dwight School
