Temple University Athletics

Former Fencing Standout Kamali Thompson Competes for the USA at the 2013 World University Games Image
Kamali Thompson (front row, fourth from left) with the Team USA fencers at the World University Games

Former Fencing Standout Kamali Thompson Competes for the USA at the 2013 World University Games

7.18.13 | Women's Fencing

PHILADELPHIA - Former All-American Temple Fencer Kamali Thompson ('12) recently returned from competing at the 2013 World University Games where she helpled lead Team USA to a fourth-place finish in Women's Sabre. The 27th annual Games, also known as Universiade, were held in Kazan, Russia.

Thompson, who was also a two-time winner of Temple's PNC Female Student-Athlete of the Year award, is preparing to begin her second year of medical school next month and is currently completing an internship with the Rutgers University Sports Medicine Department.

The Universiade is an International multi-sport event, organized for university athletes by the International University Sports Federation (FISU). The name is a combination of the words "University" and "olympiad". The Universiade is often referred to in English as the World University Games. The event is held every two years, alternating years between the Summer and Winter games. Over 10,400 university athletes from 162 countries are participating in 13 mandatory and 14 optional sports, making the 2013 Universiade the biggest ever in the history of the event.

Thompson wrote to Temple Fencing Head Coach Nikki Franke about her time at the Games as well as her current internship at Rutgers:

"My experience at the World University Games was definitely unforgettable. It's very unfortunate the World University Games is not widely publicized in the United States because it is an excellent opportunity for university students to compete against various countries and advance in their athletic careers. I think the most impressive aspect of the World University Games was the camaraderie between all of the athletes. Everyone was extremely friendly and excited to speak to athletes from other countries and learn about new sports.

In the individual competition I finished 36th. After going 2-4 in pools, I lost my first direct elimination to Lui from China. In the team competition, USA began as the 9th seed. After defeating Japan, 45- 32, we prepared to fence Ukraine, the number 1 seeded team at the competition. After a nail-biting victory of 45 -44, we then fenced Italy to move into the final round. Unfortunately, we lost 45-42 and then later lost to Russia, 45-29, finishing in 4th place. With this being my first time fencing in a team event for USA, it was an excellent learning experience that will be helpful in this upcoming season.

This summer I was fortunate to obtain an internship with the Rutgers Sports Medicine Department in Piscataway, N.J. As an intern, I am involved in the clinical office work as well as a research project. Robert Wood Johnson Medical School has joined with Rutgers Sports Medicine to integrate the use of ultrasound into the curriculum for first-year medical students. One aspect of my internship is to help organize learning materials (videos, websites, etc.) that would be helpful for the incoming first-year medical students. I am also involved in a study on concussions in athletes, which primarily focuses on football and basketball players. My responsibilities with the research project include giving balance tests to athletes and distributing concussion screeners."
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