News
16 Sept 2007 - Press Release: Wrap of Day
Three at the Veterans' World Fencing Championships
16 Sept 2007 - Press Release: Men's Foil Category
A Final
16 Sept 2007 - Press Release: Women's Sabre
Category A Final
16 Sept 2007 - Press Release: Men's Epee Category
B Final
16 Sept 2007 - Press Release: Women's Epee
Category B Final
16 Sept 2007 - Press Release: Men's Epee Category
B Semifinals
16 Sept 2007 - Press Release: Women's Epee
Category B Semifinals
15 Sept 2007 - Press Release: Wrap of Day Two
15 Sept 2007 - Press Release: Final - Men's
Sabre Category B
15 Sept 2007 - Press Release: Women's Epee
Final Category A [50-59]
15 Sept 2007 - Press Release: Final - Men's
Epee Category A [50-59]
15 Sept 2007 - Press Release: Final - Woman's
foil category B
15 Sept 2007 - Press Release: Men's Sabre Category
B Semi Finals
15 Sept 2007 - Press Release: Women's Epee
Category A Semi Finals
15 Sept 2007 - Press Release: Men’s Epee
Category A (50-59 years)
15 Sept 2007 - Press Release: Women’s
Foil Category B (60+ years)
14 Sept 2007 - Press Release: Finals Day One
14 Sept 2007 - Press Release: Women's Category
B Sabre
14 Sept 2007 - Press Release: Around the Pistes
14 Sept 2007 - Press Release: Kardolus and
Philbin reach Men's Final
14 Sept 2007 - Press Release: Knorr beats Cirillo;
Offerle defeats teammate Starks-Faulkner
14 Sept 2007 - Press Release: Veterans' Fencing
Underway
11 Sept 2007 - Press Release: Americans in town
for another summit
4 Sept 2007 - Press Release
Wrap of
Day Three at the Veterans' World Fencing Championships
16 September 2007
British fencers had a successful day as they claimed two gold
medals and a silver medal on the final day of competition at the
2007 Veterans' World Fencing Championships at Sydney Olympic Park
Sports Halls.
Robin Davenport claimed Great Britain's first gold medal with
his victory in the Men's Epee Category B Final.
The 61-year-old overcame Germany's Frieder Kopsch 10-4 in the
final after the German had taken an early lead with a different
attacking style.
"I wasn't quite sure what was happening. He was moving his
arms a lot more than he did in the semifinal but I eventually
got used to it and gradually got the better of him," Davenport
said.
"After ten years of trying and a lot of near misses, it
feels great to finally have a gold medal. It's certainly been
worth the wait."
In the Women's Category A Sabre final, Jane Hutchison survived
a late challenge from a resurgent Corinne Aubailly of France to
win Britain's second gold medal of the day.
Competing in her first Veterans' World Championships, she held
her nerve to win the final 10-8 after finishing the first period
with a 5-2 lead.
"I am completely elated. That was very scary, was it very
scary? I think it was," she said after her bout. The win
caps a successful international season in which she also won the
European Veterans' title.
Earlier Finnish fencer Marja-Liisa Tuulikki Someroja defeated
Diane Kallus from the United States 10-6 to win gold in the Women's
Epee Category B final.
If Someroja, who was defeated the night before in the Foil Category
B final, was nervous it did not show. The win securing her fifth
veterans' world Epee title, her first in Category B.
"It was such a long day today, but I feel so great now I
have won. Yesterday was really just a warm up for this moment,
I have always been stronger in Epee," Someroja said.
In the final event of the championships, two-time defending champion
Maurizio Galvan of Italy made it a hat-trick of wins with his
victory over Britain's Antony Bartlett in the Men's Foil Category
A final.
The Italian claimed a 10-7 victory in a tight tussle, with the
former British Olympic team member offering strong resistance.
"I wanted to come out and attack because I thought I saw
a few weaknesses in his style from the semifinal. When I saw an
opening, I went for it, and it paid off," Galvan said.
"This is my third straight win and they get harder each
time. I keep getting older."
Men's Foil
Category A Final
16 September 2007
Italy's Maurizio Galvan claimed his third consecutive Veteran's
World Championship title in the Men's Foil Category A at the Sydney
Olympic Park Sports Halls on Sunday.
Galvan triumphed over Antony Bartlett of Great Britain 10-8 in
a tense final, the final also marking the end of the 2007 championships.
Bartlett, a two-time Olympian, started the better of the two
in the final before the defending champion rallied to lead 5-4
after the first period.
It continued to be a tight affair after the break but the Italian's
attack-minded approach saw him claim the gold.
"I wanted to come out and attack because I thought I saw
a few weaknesses in his style from the semifinal. When I saw an
opening, I went for it, and it paid off," Galvan said.
"This is my third straight win and they get harder each
time. I keep getting older."
Bartlett, a member of the British team at the 1988 and 1992 Olympic
Games, did not quite have the answers for the Italian's speed
in attack.
"I just wasn't focussed enough at the right times. That's
the reason why I lost today."
Women's
Sabre Category A Final
16 September 2007
Great Britain's Jane Hutchison survived a late challenge from
a resurgent Corinne Aubailly of France to win the gold medal in
the Women's Category A Sabre Final on Sunday.
Hutchison, competing in her first Veteran's World Championships,
held her nerve to win the final 10-8 after finishing the first
period with a 5-2 lead.
"I am completely elated. That was very scary, was it very
scary? I think it was," she said after her bout.
"I have seen her compete before, she is very good. I am
competing in my first world championships."
"I got a little careless, a little lazy in the middle there.
At this level you have to be so careful. I managed to regroup
though, the dip was in the middle, not the end, so it was all
good."
Aubailly, who rallied to come within two points of her rival
late in the bout, was unhappy with her performance.
"I don't practice very often fencing sabre, I prefer fencing
epee," she said after her loss.
Earlier, Hutchison progressed to the final after making light
work of Patricia Reguigne 10-1 in her earlier semifinal. Aubailly
earned her place in the final in a much tighter bout, defeating
Italian Claudia Bandieri 10-7.
Hutchison can now be add her veteran's world title to the European bronze
she won earlier this year, in an impressive start to an international
career after only taking up fencing aged 40.
Men's Epee
Category B Final
16 September 2007
Robin Davenport claimed his first Veterans' World Championships
gold medal with his victory in the Men's Epee Category B final
at the Sydney Olympic Park Sports Halls.
Davenport sustained an early onslaught from German Frieder Kopsch
in the final before eventually prevailing 10-4.
With Kopsch employing a different style from the one he used
in his semifinal he caught the 61-year-old Briton slightly off
guard.
"I wasn't quite sure what was happening. He was moving his
arms a lot more than he did in the semifinal but I eventually
got used to it and gradually got the better of him," Davenport
said.
"After ten years of trying and a lot of near misses, it
feels great to finally have a gold medal. It's certainly been
worth the wait."
Kopsch was philosophical after his defeat.
"I didn't lose today, I just didn't win the gold medal,"
Kopsch said.
"I wasn't aggressive enough in the final, but I still came
second and that shows I have the ability to compete with the best."
Women's
Epee Category B Final
16 September 2007
Finland's Marja-Liisa Tuulikki Someroja has won gold in the Women's
Category B Epee final in a commanding display over Diane Kallus
from the United States, wining 10-6.
Someroja, who led for the entire bout, held off a late flurry
of attacks from Kallus in the second period to secure the gold
medal. Someroja was also able to improve on the silver medal she
won in the Women's Category B Foil final.
The win also takes her total veterans' world titles in Epee to
five after taking out the Category A title from 2001-2003 and
in 2005.
"It was such a long day today, but I feel so great now I
have won. Yesterday was really just a warm up for this moment,
I have always been stronger in Epee," Someroja said.
"Losing in the final last night didn't change anything for
tonight. Winning this was always my main focus. In Epee you have
to be patient, in foil you have to take more risks."
Kallus who also finished second at the 2005 Veteran's World Championships
in the Category A Epee event, put her loss down to a combination
of confidence and movement.
"My main fault was that I wasn't confident enough, I didn't
move very well, I need to improve that. I also have to learn not
to rush," Kallus said.
Men's Epee
Category B Semifinals
16 September 2007
The match-up for the Men's Epee Category B final has been decided
with Great Britain's Robin Davenport set to face Frieder Kopsch
of Germany at the Sports Halls at Sydney Olympic Park on Sunday.
Davenport easily overcame Viktor Modzolevski in the first semifinal,
prevailing 10-4. Davenport was on fire from the very start, claiming
an early 6-0 lead. Although Modzolevski added some respectability
to the scoreline, Davenport's victory was never in doubt.
"It gives me great confidence going in to the final. He
was one of the stalwarts of the Russian team, so to beat him so
convincingly is a great win," Davenport said.
The second semifinal was a much closer affair, with Kopsch overcoming
American Roy Sexton III 10-7. With the score at 8-7, the German
was able to fight off some desperate attempts from Sexton to progress
through to the final.
"Davenport is a defensive player, so I will have to be very
careful in the final. I will have to rethink my strategy and stay
focussed," Kopsch said.
While the German used some steely determination to get through
to the final, he will try and stay relaxed for the final.
"I think I will have a cigarette, then maybe do some meditation,"
Frieder said after his bout.
Women's
Epee Category B Semifinals
16 September 2007
Finland's Marja Liisa Tuulikki Someroja made it though to her
second final in two days at the 2007 Veterans World Championships
with her victory in the semifinals of the Women's Foil Category
B at the Sydney Olympic Park Sports Halls on Sunday.
After finishing with the silver medal in the Women's Foil Category
B final on Saturday, Someroja will be hoping to go one better
in the final of the Epee on Sunday.
A victory in Sunday's Epee final would provide some solace for
Someroja, who was defeated in her Foil final on Saturday in the
dying seconds.
Germany's Brigitte Greunke made the Finn fight for her place
in the final, Someroja eventually claiming a nail-biting 10-9
victory after leading Greunke 5-4 after the first period.
In Someroja's way will be Diane Kallus of the United States who
overcame Japan's Musako Shinki in the second semifinal.
With the score 4-3 in the American's favour after the first period,
Kallus gradually assumed control of the match, eventually winning
the bout 10-7.
Wrap of
Day Two
15 September 2007
A snapped blade, warnings, disputes with the referee and four
gold medals were the feature of an action packed night of fencing
at the World Veterans' Fencing Championship in Sydney on Saturday.
Germany, Sweden, France and the United States all claimed golds,
with one more day of competition on Sunday.
Germany's reigning champion Volker Fischer retained his world
champion title when he beat the USA's Walter Dragonetti in a drama
laden Men's Epee Category A (50-59 years) final.
As the rekindled Olympic cauldron blazed away outside the Sports
Halls at Sydney Olympic Park on the anniversary of the start of
the Sydney Olympic Games, Fischer and Dragonetti were involved
in their own blazing row, with the referee of their bout.
After no hits were registered in the first two minutes, the
referee warned both fencers for "passivity", then after
a warning, the bout was reduced to a one minute duel.
In the final sixty seconds, there was a flurry of action, with
Fischer scoring a 4-2 win.
Sweden's Kerstin Palm scored the winning touch in the dying
seconds of extra time to defeat Finland's Marja-Liisa Tuulik Someroja
6-5 and take the Women's Foil Category B (60+ years) gold medal.
The Swede scored the winning touch with less than 10 seconds
remaining after her Finnish competitor recovered from 4-1 down
to tie the scores at 5-5 at the end of two periods.
'It is marvellous to win, there were a lot of ripostes of mine
which didn't register, she came back strongly and had the priority
in extra time, I had nothing to lose so I just went for it,"
Palm said.
'I could tell she was getting distracted at the edge of the piste,
that was when I had to go for it,' Palm said of her winning touch.
But the Finn complained after at the tactics of Palm and her
supporters, claiming they had been counting down the remaining
time to her in Swedish.
America's Paul Apostol became the first man to successfully
defend a Men's Sabre Category B World Championship title when
he beat France's Patrick Boite 10-6 in their final, snapping a
blade along the way.
Leading 2-1, a lunge from Apostol ended with a snapped blade,
and while his attacks were deadly, the Frenchman was showing his
own skill.
"A snapped blade, but no snapped bones," Apostol said
after the bout.
"I'm gratified that all the hard training paid off ...
because I really put in a lot of work for this.
"I'm particularly proud that I'm the first person to defend
this title too," he said.
Annick Martin proved too strong for fellow French competitor
Corrinne Aubailly in the final of the Women's Category A Epee
final, defeating her team-mate 10-7.
Martin recovered from a slow start in the first period to establish
a solid lead on her compatriot 10-4 in the second period. Aubailly
was unable to come within three points of Martin who never looked
like relinquishing her lead.
'I am very very happy to have won that, she [Aubailly] is the
most difficult competitor to defeat, we were in the final together
last year and the result was the reverse,' she said.
Final -
Men's Sabre Category B
15 September 2007
America's Paul Apostol became the first man to successfully defend
a Men's Sabre Category B World Championship title when he beat
France's Patrick Boite 10-6 in their final at the Sports Halls
at Sydney Olympic Park Saturday night.
Some classic aggressive swordsmanship from Apostol was the determining
factor in a bout that saw a snapped blade and plenty of enthusiasm.
Leading 2-1, a lunge from Apostol ended with a snapped blade,
and while his attacks were deadly, the Frenchman was showing his
own skill.
A short attack from Apostol resulted in a scoring touch from
Boite to make it 3-2, but after that the American scored seven
unanswered points, racing to 9-3, before a brief fightback by
Boite.
But then Apostol closed out the bout 10-6.
"A snapped blade, but no snapped bones," Apostol said
after the bout.
"I'm gratified that all the hard training paid off ... because
I really put in a lot of work for this.
"I'm particularly proud that I'm the first person to defend
this title too.
"There was a certain amount of pressure on me because I
was the defending champion, and there was weight on my shoulders,
but that's gone now and I am very happy," he said.
Boite was proud of his silver medal.
"I was very happy to come second, but not very happy with
my technique," he said.
"It is very early in the season, but my opponent is the
world champion and a real sabre guy. He is also much younger than
I am."
Woman's
Epee Final Category A [50-59]
15 September 2007
Annick Martin proved too strong for fellow French competitor
Corrinne Aubailly in the final of the Women's Category A Epee
final, defeating her team-mate 10-7, on Saturday.
Martin recovered from a slow start in the first period to establish
a solid lead on her compatriot 10-4 in the second period. Aubailly
was unable to come within three points of Martin who never looked
like relinquishing her lead.
'I am very very happy to have won that, she [Aubailly] is the
most difficult competitor to defeat, we were in the final together
last year and the result was the reverse,' she said.
"Each touch was obviously very important. I had to concentrate,
I was only ever thinking of the next touch.
'"I tried to change things in the bout, to change tactics
with each point, it worked well."
The win capped a successful day for the French team who had three
competitors in the semifinals. It is a treble which was mirrored
by Martin, who has now placed first, second and third in three
consecutive Veterans' World Championships.
Final -
Men's Epee Category A [50-59]
15 September 2007
Germany's reigning champion Volker Fischer retained his world
champion title when he beat the USA's Walter Dragonetti in a drama
laden final at the World Veterans' Championships in Sydney on
Saturday night.
As the rekindled Olympic cauldron blazed away outside the Sports
Halls at Sydney Olympic Park on the anniversary of the start of
the Sydney Olympic Games, Fischer and Dragonetti were involved
in their own blazing row, with the referee of their bout.
After no hits were registered in the first two minutes, the referee
warned both fencers for "passivity", then after a warning,
the bout was reduced to a one minute duel.
"We were warned for passivity, but we weren't being passive
-- that's when you make no attempt on each other. We were -- we
were trying to find an opening for an attack, but it wasn't there,"
Fischer said.
"When it went straight to the final minute (which is normally
reserve for extra time), he (Dragonetti) was given priority, so
if I hadn't done something, he would have won," Fischer said.
In the final sixty seconds, there was a flurry of action, with
Fischer scoring twice before Dragonetti pulled one back with 9
seconds remaining.
Then Fischer extended the lead with 6 seconds left, making it
3-1, before finally running out champion 4-2.
Dragonetti himself was bemused by the drama.
"I guess they changed the rules, I don't know," he
said.
"They [the FIE] want to make it more exciting. Epee is for
duelling. I guess the referee thought we were stalling."
Dragonetti said Fischer was very respectful.
"And I gave him as much respect as I could. He is awesome.
"I was given priority and I thought it was one minute of
sudden death, so did he [Fischer GER] he was celebrating after
he scored a touch with 17 seconds to go.
"He is the big gun, the defending Veterans' World Champion
and former World Champion. We were fencing for one touch, I can
fence anyone for one touch, today it didn't go my way."
Final -
Woman's foil category B
15 September 2007
Sweden's Kerstin Palm scored the winning touch in the dying seconds
of extra time to defeat Finland's Marja-Liisa Tuulik Someroja
6-5 and take the Women's Foil Category B gold medal at Sydney
Olympic Park Sports Halls on Saturday.
The Swede scored the winning touch with less than 10 seconds
remaining after her Finnish competitor recovered from 4-1 down
to tie the scores at 5-5 at the end of two periods.
'It is marvellous to win, there were a lot of ripostes of mine
which didn't register, she came back strongly and had the priority
in extra time, I had nothing to lose so I just went for it,"
Palm said.
'I could tell she was getting distracted at the edge of the piste,
that was when I had to go for it,' Palm said of her winning touch.
It was a close fought bout in which one and a half minutes past
in the first period before the first point was scored, at only
one stage in the bout was there more than a two point deficit.
Both competitors were well aware of each others techniques and
tactics: 'We have known each other for 45 years now, we have fenced
together since the 1960's, ' the 61-year-old said.
Someroja was still upset after the bout at the tactics of Palm
and her entourage.
"In the extra time period, she called out "Count!"
to her supporters in Swedish, and they were telling her how long
to go," Someroja said.
"It might not have bothered me, but I speak Swedish and
it kind of distracted me."
Men's Sabre
Category B Semi Finals
15 September 2007
Patrick Boite pulled himself up by sheer willpower to win his
semi final of the Men's Sabre Category B after trailing 8-4 deep
into the second period of his bout with Germany's Wolf Nettingsmeyer.
Boite won 10-9, staging a remarkable comeback, featuring some
superb parry-riposte work and beautiful upper body movement.
It was a stylish display by the two Europeans, with Nettingsmeyer
having won this event in Krems, Austria, in 2004.
Boite attributed his come from behind win to mental strength.
'We were physically equal but that is normal, I had to be stronger
in my head. To be in the final is a blessing,' the retired sports
teacher and fencing trainer said after his bout.
'Wolf [Nettingsmeyer] is very experienced, but I took advantage
of the great support from the French team. Hearing their cheers
was also very important for me,' Boite said.
In the second semi final, two Americans faced off, with defending
champion Paul Apostol eclipsing Alexander Kovacs 10-6.
The bout was fought at a much higher tempo than the first semi
final, and it showed on Apostol afterwards.
"You have to be hungry, to win, to fight for it," he
said.
"But yeah, that really took it out of me. It was quite tiring
and it has already been a long day," he said.
"Plus, I had the extra burden of being the defending champion."
Apostol fenced in the US teams at both the 1972 (Munich) and
1976 (Montreal) Olympic Games, but then quit for almost 28 years
-- mainly due to the "pressure of family and business".
"Then my wife volunteered me to coach the local high school
team. I got back into it, but got frustrated that they couldn't
learn the things I wanted to teach them, so I quit and went fencing
for myself... and here I am," he said.
Women's
Epee Category A Semi Finals
15 September 2007
Corinne Aubailly of France swept aside Sally Still Gonsales of
the USA 10-2 in their semi final of the Women's Epee Category
A.
The bout lasted barely two minutes as the much smaller Aubailly
continually got under Still Gonsales' defence to score points
rapidly, taking a 6-1 lead, then the 10-2 win with 1 minute 5
seconds left on the clock.
"I was quite worried before the match," Aubailly said.
"I was afraid of her height, because it gives her more reach,
but I just went underneath and I could score."
This is her second year at the Veterans' World Championships,
having won the title in Bath last year.
"I began when I was 10 ... I am 52 now, and only had one
year off for the birth of my son," she said.
Annick Martin of France won the other semi final against countrywoman
Patricia Reguigne in a much closer tussle, 10-8.
Martin prevailed in a close bout, trading points before taking
the lead at 5-4. Reguigne remained in the hunt, never falling
more than two points behind throughout the bout.
'I was happy to win, we are good friends off the piste, we fight
and train against each other regularly. She [Reguine] is a strong
competitor but we are all friends,' Martin said.
'We all live in the same central mountain region in France so
we are used to competing with each other,' Martin, who took up
fencing again at the age of 35.
Men’s
Epee Category A (50-59 years)
15 September 2007
The USA’s Walter Dragonetti disposed of Giuliano Pianca
of Italy in their first up semi final in the Men’s Epee
category A.
After no touches in the first minute, with both fencers sizing
up their opponent, Dragonetti got the first point, then followed
up with a great parry and riposte to lead 2-0.
“I felt very good and was very comfortable with my performance,”
Dragonetti said.
“I was keeping my distance and he had to push me, and that
worked to my advantage.
“I was playing hide and seek with him, and when he came
at me, I was ready.”
Dragonetti launched some great lunges of his own, none better
than the hit to make it 6-1 when he went straight through Pianca’s
defence, leaving the Italian standing bemused on the piste as
he wondered how it had happened.
The 10-2 scoreline truly reflected Dragonetti’s domination
of the bout.
I’ve been fencing for 35 years, but had a 10-year break,”
he said.
“I came back because I wanted to get fit… I was getting
old and fat, and needed to do something.
“Fencing is great for fun and fitness, and after coming
back I found out that I wasn’t just getting fit, but I could
hold my own in the competition,” he said.
In the second semi final, defending champion and Olympian Volker
Fischer beat France’s Serge Le Louarn 10-4.
Fischer was a member of the West German epee team which won gold
in the team's event at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1984,
and silver in both Montreal 1976 and Seoul 1988.
He then capped his career when he won the individual world title
in Switzerland in 1987.
He won the Veterans' Category A event last year in Bath, England,
and showed his superiority against the Frenchman.
“I beat him in last year’s semi final as well,”
Fischer said.
“I had a good feeling when I learned I would face him,
and had the luck that he was far too aggressive.
“When he attacked, it gave me the chance to hit him on
the hand.”
Fischer had some advice for the Frenchman: “In future I
think he needs to be a little more patient, and not rush in so
much.”
He is confident before the final later today, but admitted he
had never seen the American (Dragonetti) before. “But it
is now down to the two of us, and it will be a good bout.”
Women’s
Foil Category B (60+ years)
15 September 2007
Finland’s Marja-Liisa Someroja won through to the final
of the Women’s Foil Category B (60+ years) at the World
Veterans' Fencing Championships in Sydney on Saturday.
Her 10-4 victory in the second semi final of the event against
the USA’s Ellen O’Leary was a polished display, with
deft touches.
“I had never met her before, so I was not sure what to
expect,’” she said.
“But as the bout went on, I was confident that I could
handle her.”
Someroja won the Foil Category A event in Tampa, USA in 2002,
where she also won the Women’s Epee Category A, which she
defended after winning in Martinique, France, in 2001, and then
won in 2003 and 2005. She has now moved into the Category B, for
over 60 years fencers.
It was the second semi final loss in two days for O’Leary.
Yesterday she lost the semi final of the Women’s Category
B (60+) Sabre competition.
In the first semi final of the Women’s Foil Category B
(60+ years), Sweden’s Kerstin Palm beat German’s Brigitte
Greunke, also 10-4.
On Friday night, Greunke took gold in the Women's Sabre Category
B, adding to her gold in the Women’s Foil Category B gold
she won in 2005.
Finals
Day One
14 September 2007
Germany claimed two gold medals, with Great Britain and Russia
taking one apiece on the first day of the World Veterans Fencing
Championships in Sydney on Friday.
Eva Knorr won the first gold of the night, beating the USA's
Judith Offerle 5-2 in a tight match in the Women's Foil Category
A (50-59 years).
The score was only 1-0 after the first three minute period, but
then Knorr opened up a 4-0 break which Offerle could not reduce.
'I am very happy, and want to really dedicate this to my father
who has really helped me with training,' she said.
Gianna Cirillo of Italy and Jennette Starks-Faulkner of the USA
shared the bronze.
James Philbin of Great Britain stopped the rampaging Dutchman
Oscar Kardolus in their final of the Men's Sabre Category A with
a 10-6 win.
Some stout defence, beautiful parrying and great movement were
the features.
His parry-riposte combinations were a feature, no better illustrated
than when he scored to make it 6-3 with a deft flick of Kardolus'
wrist.
'I've been third twice, so this is really sweet,' Philbin said.
'Plus I'm coaching at a club back home, and so know I can hardly
wait to get back and show the kids. They've been at me whether
I can get a medal, so to be able to go back as World Champion
will be something.'
He admitted he'd celebrate well tonight.
'We've been in Australia for six weeks, and for the last week
I have abstained - not a drop of beer or wine. But tonight I might
just have a few,' he said.
France's Alfred Nasewicz and Australia's Alex Scherbakoff shared
the bronze.
In the Women's Sabre Category B, defending champion Marguerite
Langton of Sth Africa was overwhelmed by Germany's Brigitte Greunke.
She led 5-3 after the first period, then stormed away to win
10-3.
'I am so happy, because she beat me in last year's semi-final,
and so this is sweet revenge,' Greunke said.
'I have had a year's more practice in the sabre, and now I feel
fantastic with this weapon.'
Great Britain's Silvia Earl and the USA's Ellen O'Leary shared
the bronze.
In the last final of the evening, Russia's Gari Aftandilov beat
Japan's Daizo Kawaguchi 8-5 in the Men's Foil Category B.
Kawaguchi had earlier used all his reserves of strength to make
the final, coming from 7-1 down to beat France's Regis Danglot
10-9 in their semi-final.
In the second period of the final, Kawaguchi lost to the wilier
Russian, who used his deft touches and beautiful balance to great
effect.
'I am very tired now ... it hurts quite a bit,' Aftandilov said
after the final.
'But I'm also very happy, and I am sure the Russian team will
help me celebrate.'
Women's
Category B Sabre
14 September 2007
Brigitte Gerunke of Germany beat Ellen O'Leary of the USA in
their semi final of the Women's Category B (60+) Sabre competition.
Gerunke led early, pushing to a 3-0 lead before O'Leary, egged
on by some vocal support from her fans and coaches, ralled to
lead 5-4 at the end of the first period.
But the German kept her composure and some beautiful parry-riposte
combinations brought her level and eventually on to a 10-6 win.
Reigning champion Marguerite Langton of South Africa shrugged
off the determined challenge of Silvia Earl in the second semi
final.
Earl struck first, but then the champion started to get the measure
of the British fencer.
In the second period, her parry-riposte combos with powerful
sweeps, gathered the points, while her own attacks took their
toll on Earl.
'Once I got her measure, I was confident I could handle anything
she threw at me today,' Langton said.
A veteran of 40 years of fencing with all three weapons, Langton
said she was still exhilarated by the sport.
'I work in a stressful job, as a radiologist, and fencing keeps
me sane,' she said.
'When you are on the piste, you concentrate or you get hit. Simple.
'When you have finished an evening of fencing, you've had a great
physical workout, and you have had to focus on what's happening
on the piste to the exclusion of evertything else. You can forget
your problems for a while. When you have finished, the problems
haven't changed, but your ability to handle them has.'
Around
the Pistes
14 September 2007
Have Fun
Jenny Cassidy, the head coach for the Australian team at the
World Veterans Fencing Championship, has some simple advice for
people competing in the sport: "Have fun and do your best".
A coach for 21 years, she lives in Adelaide where she coaches
three times a week in both junior and senior fencing clubs.
As a coach she encourages the importance of having "different
strategies that applies differently to fencing individuals within
the team".
Cassidy started coaching in the sport after Year 10, but also
continued with her studies in the University of Adelaide majoring
in Mathematics and Statistics, as well as earning her Diploma
of Graduate Recreation.
From Badminton to Fencing
Japan's Chikubu Yoshiko, competing in the Women's A Category
Sabre, started in fencing at 15.
'Initially I wanted to play badminton, but I was just no good,
and then tried fencing. I fell in love with it,' she said... a
love affair that has lasted more than 35 years.
'I want to keep playing for another five or six years,' she said.
This is her third year at the World Veterans.
Influenced by his Son
Italy's Dominico Berardi is taking part in the Men's A Category
of the Sabre event, a sport he has been practising for 45 years.
'I started when I was at school, just 10 years old, because my
father was a fencer.
Now living in Parma, he is an ophthalmologist, and lists his
son as 'the most influential person in my career'.
Luck of the Draw
People start fencing for many reasons, but one of the most curious
belongs Germany's Anita Herrmann.
'I have been fencing for 40 years, and started when I won a lottery
for a training lesson and some free training gear,' she said.
Forty years later she's still in the sport!
Kardolus
and Philbin reach Men's Final
14 September 2007
The Netherlands' Oscar Kardolus imposed himself on the first
semi final of the Men's Sabre Category A with a swashbuckling
10-4 win over Australia's Alex Scherbakoff.
The big Dutchman started with a bang, using an aggressive attacking
style to put Scherbakoff on the back foot, leading 2-0, before
ending the first period with a 5-1 lead.
His classic lunges and speed along the piste were an impressive
sight, as he ousted the Aussie.
In the second semi final, Britain's James Philbin beat Alfred
Nasewicz of France in a classic struggle.
Some impressive sword play from both fencers kept the crowd entertained,
with Nasewicz scoring first, but then being caught and never able
to pull the British fencer back in.
As the scores built, Philbin pulled to an 8-4 lead with a classic
lunge, flicking Nasewicz's blade to one side and scoring with
a touch to the chest.
While the Frenchman pulled one point back, Philbin eased to a
10-5 win.
The final will be held at 6pm at the Sydney Olympic Park Sports
Halls.
Knorr beats
Cirillo; Offerle defeats teammate Starks-Faulkner
14 September 2007
Germany's Eva Knorr will face off against the United States'
Judith Offerle in the final of the Women's Foil Category A (50-59
years) at the World Veterans Fencing Championships on Friday evening.
Knorr beat Italy's Gianna Cirillo 10-4 in the first semi final
in a display of elegant fencing. Cirillo led 2-0 but was then
hauled in by Knorr who led 3-2 and pulled away to lead 9-4 at
the end of the first period, before scoring the winning hit 10
seconds into the second period.
In the second semi final, Jennette Starks-Faulkner was outmanoeuvred
by her compatriot Judith Offerle.
Their contest was a much slower affair, with the score only 2-1
after the first 3 minute period, before Offerle put together a
string of five unanswered hits, ending with a 10-5 win.
Starks-Faulkner was clearly disappointed with her loss.
'You can't print what I'd like to say about that,' she said after
the loss.
'I don't generally lose to her.'
'It was my own fault, I didn't stick to my game plan. I wanted
to let her attack, but after the first few hits, I was told it
wasn't working, and so I went on the offensive.'
But that plan also didn't work. Despite being camped at Offerle's
end of the piste for most of the contest, Starks-Faulkner could
not counter the longer reach of her opponent and despite a brief
fightback at the end of the second period, went down 10-5.
Starks-Faulkner said she would now go back home 'to continue
training' and prepare for the next event, 'whenever that may be'.
Curiously, she only began fencing again last October after a
20-year break.
'My partner suggested I come back to the sport, and I have been
loving it,' she said.
'The biggest change in the 20 years has been the speed and physical
nature of the sport. The changes are very clear, but maybe for
the worse. The finesse is disappearing from the sport,' she said.
Veterans'
Fencing Underway
14 September 2007
The United States' Anne-Marie Walters, Italy's Gianna Cirillo
and Japan's AkikoTanaka had the best start to competition on the
first day of the World Fencing Championships 2007 at the Sydney
Olympic Park Sports Halls, when they all had five victories in
their pool matches to qualify for the elimination round of the
Women's Foil Category A (50-59 years) on Friday.
The three battled away in a three way tussle, with Walters losing
to Tanaka in their head-to-head, but then Tanaka was beaten by
Cirillo, and Cirillo lost to Walters. Anna Slowiaczek is the best
of the Australian performers in this category, and is likely to
be the only one of the four Aussies to progress in the competition.
In the Men's Sabre Category A (50-59 years), American Wang Yung
blitzed his opponents in the pool round, winning all six bouts
to become a favourite to take the crown of his absent countryman
Edward Korfanty who won in England last year. Competition is continuing
in the Men's Foil Category B (60+) and Women's Sabre Category
B (60+).
Americans
in town for another summit
11 September 2007
Paul Levy is the latest American leader in Sydney for a major
gathering, but the only "fencing" he's interested in
occurs in a competition and not lining the streets of the city
as was the case during the APEC summit.
He is "non playing captain" of the United States team
taking part this week at the 11th World Veterans' Fencing Championships
in Sydney on September 14-16.
More than 250 fencers from 22 countries will gather in Sydney
for the 11th staging of the veterans event, with two categories
across the three weapons: Category A for those 50 to
59 years old at 1 September 2007, and Category B for those 60
years old and more at 1 September.
"We have 46 members in the team, and we'll contest every
category," Levy said.
Levy, 70, is himself a two time competitor at the Championships,
and is retired from the Appellate Division of the Superior Court
of New Jersey.
He believes the US has great chances for gold in several categories.
"Paul Apostol is the reigning 60+ Men's Saber World
Champion, and we think he's a good chance of keeping his crown,"
he said.
Apostol is also a two-time Olympian, and placed 8th at the 1972
Olympics in Munich.
Jayne Eyre in the Women's 50-59 sabre is also a favourite, along
with Walter Dragonetti in the Men's 50-59 epee.
"Each year we make the trek to wherever the event is held
in the world. We're proud of the fact that the US team is always
a substantial one at each event," he said.
Levy said the team was mainly composed of members who had been
fencing for many years, "though there are always a few who
have only been introduced to the sport recently."
He said the attraction of the sport was that it required athleticism
and a lot of thought.
"Sometimes we realise we're not as flexible as we'd like,
but we'll still give a good account of ourselves," he said.
The US team has a fascinating assortment of team members, including
Rinaldo Campana, (competing in the 60+ foil event) who is
the former head of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Counterterrorism
Unit for the FBI and is currently a security specialist for the
US State Department.
Competitions will be held in all three weapons, with foil,
epee and sabre contested over all three days.
The largest contingents to contest the championships are from
Australia, Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and the
USA.
Austrian, Brazilian, Canadian, Finnish, Dutch, Macedonian, Norwegian,
New Zealand, Polish, Russian, South African, Swiss, Israeli, Egyptian and
Swedish fencers round out the entries.
Competition will start at 8.30am on Friday, September 14, at the
Sydney Olympic Park Sports Halls, Corner of Olympic Boulevard
& Grand Parade, Sydney Olympic Park.
Press Release
4 September 2007
Olympic gold medallist and former world champion Volker
Fischer will be the star of a massive field of fencers
who will contest the 11th World Veterans' Fencing Championships
in Sydney on September 14-16.
Fischer, from Iserlohn, was a member of the West German epee team
which won gold in the team's event at the Los Angeles Olympic
Games in 1984, and silver in both Montreal 1976 and Seoul 1988.
He then capped his career when he won the individual world title
in Switzerland in 1987.
More than 250 fencers from 22 countries will
gather in Sydney for the 11th staging of the veterans event, with
two categories across the three weapons: Category A for those 50
to 59 years old at 1 September 2007, and Category B for those 60
years old and more at 1 September.
Fischer will contest the A category of the epee.
Tournament director Bill Ronald said the event was a testimony
to the sport of fencing.
"Athletes can keep competing in their sport well into their
sixties, and still enjoy the camaraderie of competition and travelling,"
he said.
Competitions would be held in all three weapons, with foil, epee
and sabre contested over all three days.
The largest contingents to contest the championships are from
Australia, Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and the
USA.
"We have a reputation for putting on good tournaments, plus
Australia is a very desirable destination," Mr Ronald said.
Austrian, Brazilian, Canadian, Finnish, Dutch, Macedonian, Norwegian,
New Zealand, Polish, Russian, South African, Swiss, Israeli, Egyptian and
Swedish fencers round out the entries.
Competition will start at 8.30am on Friday, September 14, at
the Sydney Olympic Park Sports Halls, Corner of Olympic Boulevard
& Grand Parade, Sydney Olympic Park.
