United States Fencing Association For Immediate Release January 29, 2004   LIVINGSTON FENCING NOTABLE NAMED TO 2004 OLYMPIC GAMES CADRE   Jeffrey Bukantz has been named as Captain of the US Fencing team that will compete at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece late this summer. Bukantz, who has been an active volunteer and competitor in the US Fencing community for thirty years, was selected by the United States Fencing Association (USFA) to lead the United States' team of athletes at what could be its most successful Olympic Games in decades. At the Games, the role of the team's captain is to represent the athletes in dealing with the Tournament Committee (the jury presiding over the competition); to provide direction, support, organization, cohesion and team strategy on and off the strip; to file timely protests, if necessary; and to serve as the official liaison between the US delegation and other delegations at the competition. "Being named Olympic Captain is the greatest honor ever bestowed upon me in the USFA, as it encompasses the trust and respect of the athletes, the coaches, the cadre, and the entire organization," says Bukantz. The appointment is the culmination of three decades of dedication to the sport by Bukantz. He was two times an alternate to the Games as an athlete (in '84, '88); he served as a referee at two Olympics ('84, '96), including officiating all the way to the finals at the Atlanta Games; and has represented the U.S. as a competitor, referee, and administrator at countless national and international competitions. As a competitor, Bukantz was a member of the U.S. team at the 1987 Pan American Games, where he won a bronze medal in men's team foil; at the 1981 World University Games; the 1983 & 1987 World Championships; and the 1981, 1985, 1989 & 1993 World Maccabiah Games (In 1989, he won the gold medal in foil). He was also a member of eight US National Foil Championship teams representing the New York Fencers Club. Bukantz is a member of the International Fencing Federation's (F.I.E.) Rules Commission, which determines the manner in which the rules of fencing shall be applied throughout the sport. In addition, he currently serves as Chair of the USFA's Officials Commission and as a member of the USFA's High Performance Committee. The appointment is also a step in father Daniel Bukantz's famed footsteps. Daniel Bukantz competed at the 1948, '52, '56, & '60 Olympic Games. He refereed at the '64, '68, '72, '76 & '84 Olympic Games. He won four US National Individual Foil Championships and nine Team titles with the New York Fencers Club. He also won a gold medal in foil at the 1950 Maccabiah Games. Prior to this appointment, Bukantz served as Captain for the 2003 Junior World Championships in Trapani, Itay; the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, and the 2003 Senior World Championships in Havana. Bukantz has lived in Livingston since 1981. He was originally from Forest Hills, New York, where he was the fourth best fencer on the 1972 team that placed second in the New York City High School Championships. He is an investor and professional speaker who lives in Livingston, N.J., with wife Carol and two teenaged children, Stephanie and Michael.   ###