Home favourite Sam Moelis qualified for the last-64 of the FIE Foil Grand Prix in Long Beach in California today ©European Fencing

Home favourite Sam Moelis qualified for the last-64 of the International Fencing Federation (FIE) Foil Grand Prix in Long Beach in California today, reaching the stage for the first time at a senior international event.

Making his Grand Prix debut, the 2015 cadet world champion finished fourth in the pool-round rankings and earned the 20th seeding for tomorrow's direct elimination stage.

"It’s really unbelievable," said the 18-year-old Moelis, who has only previously competed at two senior World Cups. 

"I’m warming up next to these big guys I’ve watched on YouTube since I was nine or 10 years old.

"I felt lucky enough to be able to come here and fence pools with these guys, let alone possibly be able to fence DEs (direct eliminations) with these guys."

Geoffrey Tourette and Nick Itkin, two of Moelis’ team-mates on the United States’ team for next month's Junior World Championships in Bulgarian city Plovdiv, also advanced to the second day of action at the Long Beach Convention Center.

Tourette, the reigning cadet world champion, went 4-2 in the pools and defeated compatriot Philip Shin 15-7 in the preliminary table of 64.

Itkin, a 2016 cadet world team member, drew a short pool and finished 4-1.

After defeating France’s Anthony Auray 5-1 in the pools, he faced the same opponent for a second time in the direct elimination rounds and triumphed by a 15-7 margin.

The trio of juniors will join all four members of United States’ Olympic bronze-medal winning team from Rio 2016 in the last-64, with Alexander Massialas, Race Imboden, Miles Chamley-Watson and Gerek Meinhardt all vying for honours. 

Sabrina Massialas was one of three American women to advance directly from the pool rounds to the last-64 ©Serge Timacheff/FencingPhotos.com
Sabrina Massialas was one of three American women to advance directly from the pool rounds to the last-64 ©Serge Timacheff/FencingPhotos.com

In the women’s event, 2014 junior world team champion Jackie Dubrovich delighted the home crowd by going 6-0 in a pool that included three-time Pan American medallist Alanna Goldie of Canada. 

"I have a full-time job, so training the most I ever have in my life and also having a very steady job, nine to five, five days a week, it was really hard," said the 22-year-old Dubrovich, who is a data analyst for a digital marketing company. 

"But, I’m used to leading a very regimented lifestyle."

Dubrovich’s result ensures her the 19th seeding in the last-64, where she will be joined by fellow junior world team medallists Margaret Lu and Sabrina Massialas. 

Lu and Massialas, the reigning junior world champion, both went 5-1 in the pools to earn their places in the direct elimination stage.