Fencing in the News

[LongBlade]

More women for Beijing Games
Calcutta Telegraph
Calcutta, India
2/7/06

www.telegraphindia.com/1060207/asp/sports/story_5814789.asp

Turin (Italy): The number of women in the Summer Olympics will continue to grow. The International Olympic Committee executive board approved new quotas on Sunday for the 2008 Beijing Games, bringing the organisation closer to reaching its goal of gender equity.

The board accepted fencing’s request for 12 additional athletes: eight more (four men, four women) in modern pentathlon; four more (two men, two women) in taekwondo; 10 more (five men, five women) in triathlon; and 20 more in cycling for two new bmx events.

Taking into account earlier increases in women’s soccer, hockey and handball, there will be 128 more female athletes in Beijing than in Athens four years ago.

In Greece, 42 per cent of the 10,500 competitors were women.

“We are getting closer to the 50-50 ratio in Beijing,” IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies said. (AP)

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The Beginner's Guide to Advanced Fencing
By Joshua Robinson
CU Columbia Spectator
New York City, NY, USA
February 08, 2006

www.columbiaspectator.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2006/02/08/43e98ed71bd9d

When it comes to fencing, southpaws like me are supposed to have an advantage. That’s what I kept telling myself on my way to meet Columbia saberist James Williams, currently ranked eighth in the country, to fence a few touches. When I arrived, I was crushed to see him put on his glove and pick up his sword. He was a lefty, too.

It was all downhill from there.

I suited up in what appeared to be a converted straight jacket and a too-loose fencing mask—I’m still deciding whether or not to blame it for my poor performance. I picked up my saber and pretended I knew what I was doing as I inspected the blade and handle.

Then, Columbia’s head fencing coach George Kolombatovich came over to me and offered some advice before turning to Williams. “Just don’t hurt him,” he said.

Williams laughed. I cringed.

Standing just four meters away from me and my improvised “en garde” position, Williams cut an intimidating figure. His mask had a strip of Plexiglas across the eyes, and I could see him staring me down along the length of his blade. Before I knew it, Kolombatovich’s cry of “Fence!” echoed in the empty room, and I knew was supposed to do something.

The problem was, I had never actually fenced before. The only sword I’d ever picked up wasn’t even a sword; it was a plastic light-saber.

Then, I remembered that the average time before a touch in a competitive saber match is two seconds. So really, by the time I realized I needed a strategy, the touch could have been over. Twice.

But Williams went easy, and I retreated. Clumsily, I skipped back as he glided toward me. Then I changed my plan, edging forward this time. Maybe I could confuse him with the utter idiocy of my game plan. But in the blink of an eye, his arm shot out like a lizard’s tongue and a tap on my head resonated inside the mask.

1-0 Williams. It would be the last time I kept score all afternoon.

The most important thing I learned over the next few touches was decisiveness. I didn’t have the instincts to gauge when I should attack or retreat, so I needed to plan before every touch.

Soon enough, I stood at the line and decided that I would gun for his right shoulder. I heard “Fence!” and galloped at Williams, my saber drawn like a jousting knight. With the casual air of a competitor who’s seen it all, Williams swatted my weapon away, and I felt the familiar poke in my side.

Still, I managed one touch in the early goings. My aggressiveness paid off, and though he parried my first try, I could see he rewarded my effort by staying exposed on the right as if to say “Well done, now follow it up.” And, with a flick of the wrist, I drew my point across his chest.

He signaled with his index finger that I had scored. If I had done the same as a Harvard fencer, I suspect a different finger might have gone up.

More of the same followed as I experimented and even earned a compliment from Kolombatovich.

“You’re more dangerous now than when you started.” I guess that, in fencing, it’s a good thing.

Time and time again, I was told that belief is the single most important thing in fencing. With my 20 minutes of experience, I wasn’t about to acquire it.

“Here’s what we’re going to do.” I knew change couldn’t be good. “For three touches in a row, he [Williams] is going to think it’s the final of a national elite tournament. There’s no mercy here.”

I laughed nervously and gripped my sword so tightly my palm ached. Williams lined up opposite me, and I could see the focused gaze pierce through the glass again.

“Fence!”

I took a small step forward, but Williams had other ideas. On the balls of my feet, I thought I was at a safe distance. Just then, he exploded into a flying lunge and hit me as he landed—I later found out it was called a “flunge”. I stood bemused for a second. It wasn’t so much a fencing technique as it was an Errol Flynn move.

The second touch was routine for Williams, as I never put up a fight. But on the third one, I attacked. I thought I was pushing him back, but in fact, he knew, or rather his instinct told him, to draw me forward. My attempted cut fell short and his riposte was dead-on.

Out of breath, I was ready to slow down again. Though fencing only uses a 14-meter strip, most of the movement consists of short sprints, requiring top-level conditioning.

As we went back to more relaxed touches, the “flunge” kept running through my mind. So I tried one. I didn’t land the touch or show any grace as I launched myself at him, but it was worth a shot.

Williams did a little more showboating before we were through. On one attack, I rushed forward and aimed a cut at his midriff when suddenly he disappeared. He just dropped out of my line of vision. I followed through with my effort and struck his saber. He was, in fact, in a crouch. He parried my shot and got up to tap me with his point.

There was one other touch that left my mouth agape. As Williams drew nearer, twirling his saber to create a hypnotic effect, I was mesmerized by the point. Before I realized what he was doing, he’d hit my opposite flank. The speed with which everything was executed, not just on this move but in general, was blinding.

Still, I figured that he only beat me because he was a lefty.

That I was also one didn’t make a difference. In fact, it didn’t even make a difference that I was holding a sword.

Joshua Robinson is a Columbia College sophomore majoring in history and political science. Send any comments to [e-mail]

[LongBlade]

Stevens set to host "Count Me In" in celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day
Stevens Institute of Technology
HOBOKEN, N.J., USA
2/8/2006

www.stevensducks.com/sports/news/release.asp?RELEASE_ID=10249

On Saturday, February 18, Stevens Institute of Technology will host “Count Me In,” in celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day. The day is held to promote involvement of girls and women in sports and fitness activities. Females in grades K-12 are welcomed to attend the free event, which will be held on the Stevens Institute of Technology campus.

Attendees are invited to watch the Stevens women’s basketball game against Maritime College at 1 p.m. This event will include pizza, drinks, face painting and a half-time competition. Following the game, the women’s team will give a clinic for attendees. The kids will be given an interactive demonstration by the Steven’s fencing team to finish the day.

Last year, more than 80 children ages 5 to 14 attended the event, including 3 Girl Scout troops from Marion Gardens, Schombuger Community Charter and Hoboken. Members of All Saints CDSC Jubilee Center and the Stevens Athletics Kids Clubs were also in attendance.

Seven Stevens women’s athletics teams make this day possible – basketball, field hockey, fencing, lacrosse, swimming, tennis and volleyball.

[LongBlade]

Congratulations to OBHS Girl's Champion Fencing Team
Oyster Bay Enterprise Pilot
Oyster Bay, NY, USA
2/10/06

www.antonnews.com/oysterbayenterprisepilot/2006/02/10/sports/

The Oyster Bay High School Girl's Varsity Fencing Team won the Nassau County Championship Saturday, Feb. 4 against three time defending champs Great Neck North. The Lady Baymen completed a league season of 8 wins and 2 losses, which tied them in second place with Garden City.

Oyster Bay High School will be hosting the Long Island Championship on Tuesday Feb. 14 at 6 p.m. in the Gym. The Lady Baymen will be facing undefeated Ward-Melville, the Suffolk boys champ who has yet to be determined will take on Great Neck North.

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Fencing keeps champions, beginners fast on their feet
JOE FITZGIBBON
OregonLive.com
Portland, OR, USA
February 09, 2006

www.oregonlive.com/metrowest/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/metro_west_news/1138935339201930.xml&coll=7

For 67-year-old Sherry Green, fencing is not only for the young, but also for the young at heart.

The former New Yorker is having the time of her life, she said, parrying and thrusting with a growing number of sabre-brandishing senior citizens.

"Sure, it's a great way to get fit, but I really love the intense competition," said Green, who is ranked No. 1 internationally among women over 50.

Green travels from her Northwest Portland home to train with the Oregon Fencing Alliance in Raleigh Hills. For more than a decade, the club has worked with the Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District to offer introductory classes -- many taught by world-class athletes -- for children, teens, adults and senior citizens.

"Three out of four senior women's sabre champions are here," said Charles Randall, who trained several Mexican Olympic hopefuls before moving to Beaverton to coach with the alliance. "But we give attention to everyone, which means that a beginner could have a lesson or even a bout with a national or world champion."

According to Randall, fencers are made, not born.

"It doesn't matter your size or other athletic skills," he said. "If you have a good work ethic and a willingness to put in the time, you can really succeed."

Winter sessions are under way at Garden Home and Conestoga recreation centers, as well as in the spacious alliance headquarters on the Oregon Episcopal School campus in Raleigh Hills.

Ed Korfanty, former Polish champion and coach of U.S. National Women's Sabre team, is available for lessons. Olympic gold-medalist Mariel Zagunis trains there. In fact, club members have amassed 27 world championship medals in the past five years, making it one of the most prestigious fencing organizations in the country.

Beginners quickly learn that fencing is the athletic version of chess: It requires speed, physical prowess and mental toughness. But it can take years to develop a champion, with intense training in footwork, defensive and offensive moves, and lots of psychological preparation.

Competitors face each other with lightweight sabres along a 6-by-40-foot strip. Each participant wears a white body shield that is wired electronically to record a touch or strike.

A mental lapse of a split-second is enough for an opponent to score a point. Five points and a match is over.

"You've got to plan three or four moves in advance and occasionally lull your opponent into thinking you have a weakness," Randall said. "You don't come in and start whacking away. You've got to use your brain."

Fencers use three kinds of weapons in competitions: epee, foil and sabre. But Oregon Fencing concentrates on instruction in the sabre, a lighter weapon that originated with European cavalries.

"We felt that by concentrating in one discipline, we could excel," said Cathy Zagunis, director of programs and captain of the U.S. Women's Sabre squad. "It's popular because the sabre is easy to handle, and the matches are fast-paced."

Green caught the fencing bug eight years ago after she saw "The Swan," a movie in which Grace Kelly takes a fencing lesson from Louis Jourdan. "I immediately fell in love with the sport," she said.

Since then, Green has elevated her skills from what she calls "bottom of the line" to become a consistent winner at regional, national and international competitions.

"You can compete at any age," she said, "but you have to be willing to make a fool out of yourself when you first start out."

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‘Electric' fencing bodes sparks for Varsity
By Alex Kay
The Oxford Student
Oxford, UK
2/10/06

www.oxfordstudent.com/ht2006wk4/Sport/‘electric’_fencing_bodes_sparks_for_varsity

This year’s Varsity fencing event looks to be a particularly exciting match. Previous encounters in both men’s and women’s BUSA have been close. The quality of fencing is sure to be high, with both Oxford and Cambridge fielding strong squads. In the Men’s Blues event Oxford face a tough Cambridge side headed by Danny Ryan, who has represented Britain on the international sabre scene.


Oxford’s Alex Kay takes on Mary Cohen from Cambridge in a Varsity duel

He will be ably assisted by Robin Allen, who has represented GB in the Junior World Championships, Chris Greensides, the 2004 under 20 national epee champion, and Andy Culling, former BUSA epee champion. However, Oxford are fielding their strongest team in a few years. They are led by Tom Milner, who has represented GB in under 20 events.

He is supported by Matt Dodwell in the epee, currently ranked 19th nationally, Jamie Kenber, current British foil champion, and Andy Caldwell, former British under 18 foil champion. In the Women’s event, Oxford take on a Cambridge side headed by Anna Robinson, ranked 11th nationally in the foil. Oxford fencers Sophie Troiano (silver medallist at the British Championships) and Lousia Brownlee (bronze medallist at the British Championships) are part of a strong Oxford side.

This year the Varsity Match is held in Oxford on Saturday 18th Feb, and will take place in the Exam Schools. Fencing starts at 11am with the Women’s Blues and Men’s Assassins (seconds) followed by the Men’s Blues and Women’s Assassins at around 2pm. With the match looking like being a closely fought affair, it should be an exciting and entertaining event. The Oxford University Fencing Club caters for fencers of all levels, from complete beginner to international stars.

Beginners and intermediates learn foil, though it is hoped that intermediate epee and sabre may soon be introduced. Advanced fencers can fence any weapon, and have individual coaching. The club has three main aims. The first is the promotion of fencing both generally, by providing students with the opportunity to learn and train, and more seriously, by encouraging fencers to participate in competitions. The second is to do well in the BUSA Championship.

Last year the Women’s team made the last 8, the men’s the last 4, and the Men’s Seconds won the Trophy event. With an influx of good fencers this year, it is hoped that the club can improve on this, and win the Varsity Match, which is the third aim. There are three different weapons in modern fencing: foil, epee and sabre. Traditionally, foil is the training weapon.

There is a set target area (the torso and back), and right-ofway rules which allow a fencer to win the point only if s/he is attacking. Fencers may only hit with the tip of the sword, unlike in sabre, where hitting with the side of the blade also scores points. Like foil, sabre has right-ofway rules, however the target area is the whole of the upper body, including the head.

Although the rules can often make the awarding of points confusing to spectators who don’t fence, both weapons are generally more exciting to watch than epee. Epee is easier to understand as there are no right-of-way rules • whoever scores a hit gets the point, no matter who was attacking. This means double hits are allowed.

It also means that the weapon is deemed less thrilling for those who aren’t fencing, as fencers take their time, preparing for the best moment to hit their opponent, without conceding a hit themselves. Like foil, hits only count if scored with the tip of the blade. Competitive fencing is “electric”. A box lights up to tell the referee what hits have been scored. A red light or green light defines on-target hits for either fencer, and white lights signal off-target hits.

However, in foil and sabre, it is up to the referee to determine whether the hit was valid. In competitions fencers must wear white breeches and jacket, a plastron (which is a sleeve worn under the jacket to protect the underarm), one glove (on the fencing hand), mask, socks and shoes. In foil and sabre, a metallic lamé is also worn over the jacket, to define the target area.

However, as every varsity veteran will confirm, dress code and the formalities become mere secondaries when you enter the ring in serious competition. Every Oxford fencer must concentrate solely on one goal victory.

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Women's fencing spends Intersession abroad
By MATTHEW MURRAY
The John Hopkins News-Letter
February 10, 2006

www.jhunewsletter.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2006/02/10/43ed120e1e759

From Jan. 12 to 22, Hopkins' women's fencing team traveled to the National Training Center in Arnhem, Netherlands. At the center, head coach Jim Murray introduced the team to his former colleague and close friend, Rorik Jansen. The Blue Jays were fortunate: They were meeting a legend.

A former fencing world champion from Germany, Jansen is now the head coach of the Holland National Team. Since his arrival, Jansen has single-handedly transformed the country into a fencing contender by sharing his vast knowledge of the sport with his students and by attracting a tremendous amount of developmental financial support.

"Jansen is directly responsible for the fact that currently, Holland has state-of-the-art facilities and three of the top-ten fencers in the world," Murray said.

After the Lady Jays met with other national team members and some top coaches, the squad was given a tour of the facilities at The Papendal National Training Center.

"Overall, I was really impressed by the fact that we had full access to almost anything at the center. Even the hotel rooms had a sports motif. The open-door policy combined with the Hollanders' hospitality made this experience an unforgettable one," Murray said.

On the ten-day trip, the Jays had a daily schedule that included two-hour morning training sessions, afternoon tours of the local sites, talks from speakers and evening visits to club invitation bouts.

During their training sessions, the team and Coach Murray were given both instruction in specific tactical elements and constructive criticism on their individual bouting techniques.

When it came to visiting clubs a second time, senior captains Katherine Dunne and Cathy Gallagher decided to exchange team T-shirts with their fencing counterparts. In return for their kind gesture, the team received a handful of different goodies.

"The team really got to know the other fencers. Many of them had lengthy conversations and also traded e-mail addresses," Murray said.

Aside from the rigorous training and demanding match schedule, the team found time for recreational activities. The team got some cross-training in by riding their bikes all around the area, and visited a local museum filled with Van Gogh originals. Additionally, the Lady Jays took in many of the other sights and sounds of Amsterdam.

"Besides the cultural visit to Amsterdam and seeing the Van Gogh paintings, I think just being in Arnhem was historically enriching in itself," Murray said. Arnhem, a city of about 140,000, was a landing site for U.S. parachutists during World War II.

The trip was a success in the minds of the Hopkins women's team and also in the mind of their head coach.

"Other than getting lost on a side street during one of our tourism adventures, we had no problems on our visit to Europe. Hopefully now our team can take what they learned in Holland and utilize it to the best of their ability here," Murray said.

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Girls’ fencing team claims crown for ninth straight year
LocalSource.com
New Jersey, USA
2/10/06

www.localsource.com/articles/2006/02/09/news_-_record/sports/sports_columns/doc43eb584275b8e784296076.txt

MAPLEWOOD, NJ - The Columbia High School girls’ fencing team won its ninth straight district championship on Saturday at Columbia, while the boys’ team finished second, losing by one bout to Millburn.

Both the boys and girls qualified for the 16-team tournament to determine the state team champion and for the state squads championships to determine the top units in each weapon.

The girls, the top-ranked team in the state, were led by a perfect 27-0 performance by the foil squad, as all three fencers - seniors Deanna Rakowsky and Kirsten Lynch and junior Erin Hynes - went 9-0.

In the individual competition, Rakowsky continued undefeated, edging Lynch, 5-4, in overtime for Lynch’s only loss of the day. The two seniors will compete in the state individual championship next month.

The girls’ saber squad also finished first, as seniors A’Sha Brumant, Sara Linarducci and Nancy Huemer went 24-3. Brumant won the individual competition. Brumant and Linarducci will compete in the state individual tournament.

The epee squad, consisting of seniors Molli Andrews and Alex Polson, junior Magda Usarek-Witek and sophomore Tiffany Austin-Ginlock, won 19 of 27 bouts, good for third place among the 10 schools.

The boys finished behind Millburn, the top boys’ team in the state.

The Cougars were led by the epee squad. Seniors Alex Delaney and James Lambert and sophomore Russell Valle were 22-5 to capture first place in their event. Lambert and Delaney quailified for the state individual compettion.

The foil squad - senior Eric Jaffe and juniors Ethan Kresofsky and Shaun Geiger - were 21-6, good for third place. Kresofsky qualified for the state individual tournament.

The saber squad - senior Sam Prentice and juniors Sam Varon, Nick DeLuca and Harrison Friedland - were 19-8, finishing second. Prentice and Varon will go to the state individual competition.

The two teams swept their three dual meets last week, with the girls raising their season’s mark to 13-0 and the boys to 11-2.

The girls won, 25-2, on Thursday at Princeton Day School as all nine starters - Linarducci, Huemer and sophomore Juliet Turalski in saber; Lynch, Rakowsky and Hynes in foil; and Andrews, Austin-Ginlock and Polson in epee went 2-0. The boys beat Princeton Day, 16-11, as Varon won three saber bouts. Prentice won two saber bouts, Jaffe two foil bouts and Delaney and Lambert each won two epee bouts.

The teams beat Watchung Hills at Columbia on Feb. 1, with the girls coming out on top, 21-6, and the boys, paced by a 7-2 performance in foil, won, 16-11.

On Jan. 30, the boys beat West Morris Central, 21-6, and the girls beat the same school, 23-4.

The Cougars will host Newark Academy of Livingston today at 4:30 p.m.

The annual state freshmen and sophomore tournaments will be held this weekend at Morristown High School.

The boys will compete on Saturday and the girls on Sunday.

The Sweet 16 competition for the state team championship gets underway next, with the boys playing host in a dual meet on Monday and the girls on Tuesday against teams to be announced after the seedings for the competition are determined.

[LongBlade]

Duo claim international success
Harrogate Today
10 February 2006

www.harrogatetoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=23&ArticleID=1347020

HARROGATE Fencing Club are once again celebrating international and domestic success after two of their members claimed international gold at the U20 Commonwealth Fencing Championships held in India last week.
Abbi Matthews, a student at The Mount School in York and Emma Gibson, who attends St Aidan’s, took team gold in the Team Epee fencing for England alongside Corinna Lawrence and Kathryn Dolan.

The team, which was seeded number one, had a ding dong of a battle in the semi-final against the old enemy Australia, winning 45-41 to reach the final.

The final against Malaysia was more one sided.

Roared on by England Fencing’s equivalent to the Barmy Army the team served up a feast of fencing brilliance to the expectant arena crowd, dominating from the start as they proved too accomplished for their opponents.

The final which was televised in India and the region, saw England victorious 45-29.

In the individual competition, Abbi won the silver medal, losing out to team mate Corinna Lawrence in the final, and Emma also went out to Corinna in the quarter finals.

England topped the medal table with five gold, five silver, and five bronze ahead of Australia on three gold, two silver and three bronze.

Harrogate Fencing Club would like to thank both St Aidan’s and The Mount School for their support of both girls’ fortunes in India.

Meanwhile 12-year-old St Aidan’s student Caitlin Chang proved victorious at the British U14 Girls’ Foil Championship held in Stoke-on-Trent.

Taking on former British U12 champion Francesca Pioli of the West Midlands, she eventually took the match 14-12 and won the coveted Style award.

If you are interested in taking up fencing contact Brian Matless on 01423-880532 or visit www.harrogatefencingclub.org.uk.

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Fencing: Camden dominate Leon Paul the u-13s
London24
Wood & Vale, England, UK
10 February 2006

woodandvale.london24.net/woodandvale/sport/story.aspx?brand=NorthLondon24&category=SportGeneric&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=sport&itemid=WeED10%20Feb%202006%2011%3A35%3A20%3A120

CAMDEN Fencing Club ruled the roost in under-13 section of the second Bath Leon Paul Junior Sabre Series at Glastonbury, Somerset, over the weekend.

The boys' under-13s event was an all-Camden affair with Soji Aiyenuro beating team-mate Gianfranco Artesi 10-5 in the final.

Earlier, Artesi caused an upset when he defeated Camden team-mate, Walso Ramsey, 10-9 in the semi-finals. Ramsey had won the first tournament in the Leon Paul series.

Meanwhile, in the girls u-13s Eucalypta Bradley defeated Victoria Carson (North London) 10-5 in the final.

In the boys' under-11s, Jack Horrix was beaten 10-7 in the final by Truro's Noah Rogerson while brother Edward Horrix won the under-9 category.

Curtis Miller finished third in the boys' under-15, losing 15-13 in the semi-final to Lisle Erskine-Naylor of Bedford.

The other Camden fencers who competed were Nicolas Sabrahawal in the boys' under-13 and Zachary Gomperts in the under-15s.

The previous weekend, Camden's Fumi Aiyenuro, representing Great Britain, finishing 22nd at the Pisa International Cadet Tournament. He is currently ranked No 8 in Britain.

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WOMEN'S FENCING PERFECT AT DUKE
Jenna Remmert led the Owls with a 14-1 mark
Temple Owls
2/11/2006

www.owlsports.com/sports/wfencing/releases/release.asp?RELEASE_ID=16799

DURHAM, NC - Senior captain Jenna Remmert posted a 14-1 record to lead the 13th ranked Temple women’s fencing team to a 5-0 record at Duke in a six-team meet. The Owls bested #19 North Carolina (17-10), #14 Duke (16-11), Johns Hopkins (23-4), MIT (19-8) and Brandeis (19-8) to improve its overall record to 19-5 on the season. The Owls also captured the overall foil title with a 37-8 record by their foilists, led by Remmert’s near perfect performance.


Jenna Remmert

Besides Remmert, sophomore Samantha Myles was perfect in nine foil matches, while senior Maryanne Forsythe (9-5) and freshman Nina Gernes (5-2) also were solid for the Owls at foil.

Sophomore Marla Nancy led the Temple epee unit with an impressive 11-3 mark. Freshman Melissa Forsythe’s (8-5) and fellow sophomores Brianna Ferrara (8-4) and Ninah Bell (1-1) also contributed at epee. Freshman Kaitlyn Uckert (2-2) rounded out the unit, which placed second overall as a unit (30-15) to host Duke (31-14).

The Owls also placed second overall to Duke at the saber with senior Keri Ecker boasting the best record at 11-4. Sophomore Kristine Jones and freshman Ashlee Phillips both finished the day with 8-7 records.

Head coach Nikki Franke’s Owls will next at the Junior Olympics in Hartford, CT from February 17 to 20.

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Boisse takes epee title in Qatar GP
The Gulf Times
12 February, 2006
Doha, Qatar

www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=72489&version=1&template_id=49&parent_id=29

FRANCE’S Eric Boisse put up a tremendous display of skills to win the epee title in the Qatar International Fencing Grand Prix at the ASPIRE Academy yesterday.
Boisse defeated Marcel Fischer of Switzerland in the final of the competition in which about 150 fencers, including Qataris took part.

Paolo Milanoli of Italy and Bogdan Nikishin of Ukraine took third place after some keen contests.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, the President of Qatar Fencing Federation and general secretary of the Qatar National Olympic Committee, expressed his happiness at the record number of participants in the event.

Sheikh Saoud, who is also the tournament director of the event, said it was a matter of pride for Qatar to host such a prestigious tournament.

Fencers from 29 countries, including the top 20 in the world, have assembled in Doha for the Grand Prix. The event carries added significance for Qatar because six Qatari referees made their international debuts as officials.

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Fencing:Warriors battle on Broadway
By Justyna Konczalska
The South End
Wayne State University Newspaper
2/13/06

www.southend.wayne.edu/modules/news/article.php?storyid=2172

The men and women’s fencing teams competed at the New York Dual Meet in New York City on Sunday.

It was the first qualification competition this year for the NCAA Championships. Eight Division I schools sent their best fencers, among them students from Yale, the University of Notre Dame, the University of Columbia, New York University, St. John’s University, Ohio State University and Northwestern University.

The WSU squads lost all four meets. The men’s team lost 23-4 to St. John’s, 21-6 to New York University, 18-9 to Yale and 23-4 to Columbia. The women’s squad fenced a little bit better but also lost 19-8 to St. John’s, 15-12 to New York University, 14-13 to Yale and 25-2 to Columbia.

However, the individual results, which qualify fencers for the NCAA Individual Championships, were partially satisfying. The greatest surprise in WSU head coach Jerzy Radz’s team this weekend was sabre newcomer Marshall McClendon. Competing for the first time, he won three bouts, beating a high-ranked, top Russian sabre fencer from St. John’s, 5-0.

In women’s epée, Anna Garina led WSU with an 11-1 dual meet record. Justyna Konczalska finished with a 6-6 record.

Katarzyna Kuzniak compiled an 8-4 result in sabre. Foilist and team captain Lindsey Howard ended with a 3-9 mark.

In men’s epée, Marek Petraszek compiled a 10-2 record. Sabrist Bobby Smith ended with a 4-8 result. And team captain, foilist Joe Langdorf, had a 3-9 mark.

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Princeton's Matches at Day Two of Ivy Fencing Championships Postponed
Weather forces Tigers' bouts to another day. [/size]
GoPrincetonTigers.com
Feb. 12, 2006

goprincetontigers.collegesports.com/sports/m-fenc/recaps/021206aaa.html

NEW YORK - Princeton's six men's and women's fencing bouts scheduled for Sunday at the Ivy League Championships have been postponed as the major snowstorm made travel to New York City a hazard this weekend. A makeup date has not been announced.

The men's team stands at 2-0 with three matches remaining to decide the round-robin title. When the bouts get rescheduled, the team faces Harvard (4-0), Columbia (3-1) and Yale (0-4).

The women's team is 1-2, also with three bouts left against Harvard (5-0), Columbia (4-1) and Yale (2-3).

[LongBlade]

CSTV Total Access Feature On Notre Dame Fencing Now Linked Online
Feb. 13, 2006

Subscribers to und.com audio/video programming can view the segment, featuring sabre standouts Valerie Providenza and Mariel Zagunis.

www.cstv.com/sports/c-fenc/stories/021306aag.html

The most recent edition of College Sports Television's (CSTV) "Notre Dame Total Access" show featured a segment highlighting the Notre Dame fencing team and a special video link to this segment now is available at und.com. The link is housed on the right sidebar of the fencing main page and also can be accessed via the multi-media page at the link listed below. The video - which features sabre standouts Valerie Providenza and Mariel Zagunis - is available to und.com audio/video subcribers, with the monthly subscription entitling the user to upcoming and archived audio/video from a number of sports (for Notre Dame and other official school websites that are part of the cstv.com family).

allaccess.cstv.com/media/school_epg.jsp?sid=2450&ts=0&gState=0&gSportId=all&gDates=all&gMediaType=all&ngDates=all&ngSportId=7