Fencing: NZer Beer exits in first round

8.45pm

ATHENS - New Zealand's first Olympic woman fencer, Jessica Beer, had her Games ended in just over four minutes thanks to a fired up local and a noisy home crowd here today.

Beer was eliminated midway through the second round of her opening bout in the women's epee, losing 8-15 to Dimitra Magkanoudaki of Greece.

The bout ended after four minutes and 33 seconds when Magkanoudaki scored her 15th point, midway through the second of three, three-minute rounds.

England-based Beer was in the bout for much of the first round and trailed 6-9 at the interval, but the local hope rattled off four straight points to end it.

Rankings suggested it would be a close tussle, with Beer ranked 72nd in the world and her opponent 10 places higher, with Beer seeded 33rd out of 39 and Magkanoudaki 32nd.

Beer was the first New Zealand fencer to contest an Olympics since Gavin McLean in Barcelona 12 years ago.

- NZPA