Elaine Gayle Cheris (born January 8, 1946) is an American

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece bet ...

foil and épée fencer.

Early and personal life

Cheris was born in

Dothan, Alabama Dothan is a city in and the county seat of Houston County, Alabama, Houston County in the U.S. state of Alabama. A slight portion of the city extends into Dale County, Alabama, Dale and Henry County, Alabama, Henry counties. It had a population ...

, and is Jewish. She earned a BS in Physical Education and Sports Psychology at

Troy University Troy University is a public university in Troy, Alabama, United States. It was founded in 1887 as Troy State Normal School within the Alabama State University System, and is now the flagship university of the Troy University System. It was one ...

, where she competed on the men's track team, in 1971. She married Sam David Cheris, a lawyer, in 1980.

Fencing career

Cheris began fencing at 29 years of age. She was working at the time as the assistant athletic director at a

Jewish Community Center A Jewish Community Center or a Jewish Community Centre (JCC) is a general recreational, social, and fraternal organization serving the Jewish community in a number of cities. JCCs promote Jewish culture and heritage through holiday celebrations, ...

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is List ...

, where she put together a fencing program and decided to try the sport. In 1979 she quit her job to train for the Olympic tryouts. Cheris qualified for the 1980 U.S. Olympic team, but did not compete due to the

U.S. Olympic Committee The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) is the National Olympic Committee (NOC) and the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) for the United States. It was founded in 1895 and is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado ...

's boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, Russia. She was one of 461 athletes to receive a

Congressional Gold Medal The Congressional Gold Medal is the oldest and highest civilian award in the United States, alongside the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It is bestowed by vote of the United States Congress, signed into law by the president. The Gold Medal exp ...

instead. She did compete for the United States in the

1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and officially branded as Seoul 1988 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. 159 nations were represe ...

in Seoul in foil at the age of 42 (she was knocked out by Italian silver medalist

Laura Chiesa Laura Chiesa (born 5 August 1971) is an Italian fencer. She won a silver medal in the women's team épée event at the 1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 a ...

, 15–13), and in the

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

in Atlanta in épée at the age of 50 (the second-oldest female US Olympic fencer ever, after Maxine Mitchell). Cheris was an alternate in the

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, officially branded as Sydney 2000, and also known as the Games of the New Millennium, were an international multi-sport event held from 15 September to 1 October ...

in Sydney, having missed making the team by one touch. Cheris won an individual silver medal and a team gold medal at the

1981 Maccabiah Games The 11th Maccabiah Games brought 3,450 athletes to Israel from 35 nations. The Opening Ceremony was held on July 7, 1981, before a crowd of 53,000 and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin in Ramat Gan Stadium, with 3,500 Jewish athletes paradin ...

. At the end of the 1985 season, she was the number 1 US female foil fencer at age 39. She won a gold medal in team foil at the

1987 Pan American Games The 1987 Pan American Games, officially known as the X Pan American Games, was a major international multi-sport event held in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, on August 7–23, 1987. Over 4,300 athletes from 38 countries in the Americas ...

, and a gold medal in team épée at the

1991 Pan American Games The 1991 Pan American Games, officially known as the XI Pan American Games () and commonly known as Havana 1991 (), were held in Havana, Cuba from 2 to 18 August 1991. There were 4,519 athletes from 39 countries of the Pan American Sports Organi ...

. Cheris was inducted into the

Colorado Sports Hall of Fame The Colorado Sports Hall of Fame (CSHoF) is a hall of fame and museum that honors—by public acknowledgment or commemoration—individuals who merit recognition and distinction for their exploits, accomplishments, and leadership in sports ...

in 1983. In 1993, the

Fédération Internationale d'Escrime The International Fencing Federation (''Fédération Internationale d'Escrime'') commonly known by the acronym FIE, is the international Sport governing body, governing body of Olympic Games, Olympic fencing. Today, its head office is at th ...

awarded her its Gold Medal of Honor. She founded the fencing club the Cheyenne Fencing Society and Modern Pentathlon Center of Denver in

Denver, Colorado Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

. Cheris has authored ''Fencing: Steps to Success'' (2002), which is a step-by-step teaching method.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cheris, Elaine 1946 births Living people American female épée fencers American female foil fencers Olympic fencers for the United States Fencers at the 1988 Summer Olympics Fencers at the 1996 Summer Olympics Sportspeople from Dothan, Alabama Congressional Gold Medal recipients American female sabre fencers Jewish American sportspeople Sportspeople from Denver Maccabiah Games medalists in fencing Maccabiah Games gold medalists for the United States Maccabiah Games silver medalists for the United States Competitors at the 1981 Maccabiah Games Troy University alumni Writers from Denver Jewish women writers Jewish foil fencers American women non-fiction writers 20th-century American Jews 20th-century American sportswomen Fencers at the 1987 Pan American Games Fencers at the 1991 Pan American Games Medalists at the 1987 Pan American Games Medalists at the 1991 Pan American Games Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States in fencing Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States in fencing