THE SWORD British Fencing Magazine JANUARYAPRIL 2015 JAMES DAVIS AT THE PARIS WORLD CUP GB CADET AND JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS, LONDON - PAGES 6-9 EXCLUSIVE VIDEO FOOTAGE OF ALL THE GOLD MEDAL MATCHES www.leonpaulfencingcentre.com APRIL 2015 Editor Ed Rogers 29 Breakers Way, Dalgety Bay, Fife, KY11 9LZ Welcome to THE SWORD T: 01383 825769 E: [email protected] Print Warwick Printing Co Ltd Caswell Road, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire CV31 1QD T: 01926 883355 F: 01926 883575 Design and Layout Jon Labram T: 020 7674 7171 E: [email protected] Advertising Karim Bashir Junior European Championships - Maribor (photo: Augusto Bizzi) M: 07855 252546 E: [email protected] British Fencing accepts no responsibility for the 4 NEWS contents of advertisements and reserves the Eden Cup, New Elite Training Centre, Charlie Miller Leaves right to refuse inclusion. British Fencing and Wellington School Fencers in South The Sword, a quarterly magazine founded in 1948, is distributed to all individual and club West Regional Triumph members of British Fencing and its affiliates. It can also be obtained on subscription – UK £20 5 MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR Overseas airmail £26 – direct from HQ. Contributions are welcome. Photographs should 6 REPORTS include the names of those pictured and the photographer. GB Cadet and Junior Championships, 2015 Views expressed in The Sword do not necessarily Junior European Championships, 2015 reflect those of British Fencing. No part of Élite Epee Junior Series (Event 2) the magazine may be reproduced without Wheelchair Fencing – Gold Hattrick for Piers Gilliver permission from the editor/photographer. Coaching Courses: CMI Course Report/FIE Course Report SAFEGUARDING HOTLINE Fencing Competition Software 07526 003030 The History of Fencing Kit Liz Behnke, Equality and Safeguarding Manager e-mail: [email protected] mob: 18 DEVELOPMENT 07717740125 British Fencing Funding/Development Update Front cover image James Davis (GBR) in action with Enzo Lefort (FRA) at the Paris World Cup (photo: Augusto 19 MEDICAL AND SCIENCE Bizzi). Warm Up for Fencing Beazley sponsorship Beazley has a five year partnership with British 20 INTERVIEWS Fencing as its premier partner and official The Wanderer Returns - An Interview Laurence Halsted insurer. Through the sponsorship, Beazley aims to make a meaningful contribution to the Profile of GB Men’s Sabre Coach, Pierre Guichot continued development of the sport in Britain, WPC Athlete Profile – Jonathan Webb both at the highest competitive level and through fencing clubs and schools throughout the country. 24 ROUND UP For up-to-date news, photos, videos Senior International Roundup and games, visit our dedicated microsite: O’Sullivan Cup, 2015 – Whitchurch Fencing Club beazleybritishfencing.com Cambridge Winter Tournament, 2015 Komatsu Staff Hone Their Fencing Skills 29 REVIEWS Book: Hot Sweat and Cold Steel DVD’s: Learn Fencing, Foil, Sabre and Epee 31 OBITUARIES BRITISH FENCING Fred Sheppard, Richard Bonehill, Barbara Hillier and Derek twitter.com/britishfencing Sweeney Follow us on Facebook 33 RESULTS www.britishfencing.com NEXT DEADLINE: 29TH MAY APRIL 2015 THE SWORD 3 NEWS News EDEN CUP, 2015 CHARLIE MILLER LEAVES BRITISH FENCING This men’s foil event is the only under-20 Charlie Miller, Workforce and Business international to take place in the United Development Coordinator, left British Fencing Kingdom, hosted by British Fencing. One at the end of January, after just over five hundred and seventeen fencers from twenty years of dedicated service and has started five countries competed for this year’s title a new position at British Judo. During his at SportsDock, University of East London. tenure, Charlie had overseen a 50% increase in Last year’s winner, Francesco Ingargiola (ITA), registered coaches, managed the certification successfully defended his title, second was of nearly 5,000 FALA leaders, administered Maximilien Chastanet (FRA), third Jerry Chang major upgrades to the procedures and (USA) and Nobuo Bravo (USA). It is interesting processes for our extensive workforce to note that Francesco’s coach is Matteo and worked as a 2012 GamesMaker. His Zennaro, a previous winner at the same event in contribution to the development of British the 1995/96 season. Fencing was significant. Good luck Charlie! WELLINGTON SCHOOL FENCERS IN SOUTH WEST REGIONAL TRIUMP Wellington School fencers performed superbly joining them by only one point. at the South West regional Championships. This success reinforces the position of Under the expert guidance of the fencing Wellington School as the top training pool of maestro Gyorgy Felletar, Jade Clark came first leading fencers in the South West of England. in the U18 girls, Henry Savage came third in the U18 boys, Nina Savage came fifth in the U16 (Wellington School is an independent day and girls, and Olivia Savage came third in the U14 boarding school in Somerset for boys and girls girls. aged 3-18. www.wellington-school.org.uk.) Jade, Henry and Olivia will now represent the Fencing champions (left to right) Olivia Savage, Francesco Ingargiola successfully defended South West of England in the British Youth Henry Savage, Gyorgy Felletar, Jade Clarke, Nina his title. (photo: Graham Morrison) Fencing Championships in May. Nina missed Savage. NEW ELITE TRAINING CENTRE British Fencing has entered into a partnership with Leon Paul for an Elite Training Centre for the World Class Programme. Sport England has provided capital funding to develop and enhance the facilities at the Leon Paul Centre to enable it to become their designated ‘Elite Training Centre’. From 1st April 2015 the programme will move from Lee Valley to the Centre. 4 THE SWORD APRIL 2015 MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR Message from the chair I write this latest Message for The Sword as I and became the first holder of that job. great for us and for fencing. We are of course complete my four year term as Chair, begun working on finding a replacement sponsor. Like Change there has been; some might say, on 1 March 2011. Since then, there has been all our other, continuing challenges, that won’t bucket loads of it!....and I have carried the plenty of water under our bridge of sighs and be easy. story in these Sword Messages and other highs; several roads have been travelled, announcements and Roadshows down the four Your governing body will continue its progress. mountains have been climbed, songs sung, years. Let me now on the Board’s behalf take We believe, and our funding partners agree, tales told and thrusts parried. Pick whatever that story forward, since the last Sword edition. that British Fencing is now “fit for purpose”, metaphor you like. But this anniversary makes The good points first;- ready to lead, capable of achieving results. this Chair Message more personal than usual. Is You, the members, also want results - and there a bit of an “end of term” feeling? Straight • we have increased funding support from UK you want the right level of service, and value answer – no, there’s too much to do. How has Sport (UKS) for our World Class Programme for your money, too. Be assured your Board it been? It’s not for me to make an assessment (WCP), mainly because UKS now rates and management are absolutely committed to of these four years in the life and times of James Davis as a potential medallist in the results and to you. British Fencing (BF). My fellow Directors can Rio Olympic Games; judge. Most of all, you the members can judge. Oh, I should add - the Board has asked me to • as I write, BF is finalising the details of our Yours is for me the main judgment, although it stay as Chair until after Rio. I’ve agreed to do so. new national training centre for the WCP is the Board that has the power of appointment There is indeed much yet to do. (or “disappointment”). at Leon Paul’s. For this we have also a significant capital grant from Sport England What I can say is, I came into this post with a (SE); clear remit - to achieve change. What kind of change? In governance, in the structure and • SE has confirmed our two year, increased operation of the Board and Head Office. Why? funding for developing the sport, because Because we were into a Brave New World of they wish to back the new BF management public and Lottery funding, without which our team, led by Georgina Usher, and the new sport would suffer by contrast with other sports strategic approach, based upon our fresh that got such financial support. The Board insight into who fences and why. had received clear advice from the funding On the “bad”side, we now know this is our bodies about new standards to be applied. The last year of Beazley’s sponsorship. They have words were heeded; you the members changed decided not to renew, because their main David Teasdale the BF constitution to introduce the post of business growth opportunities lie in the USA. Chair, British Fencing “Independent Chair”, to lead change; there was We shall miss them. Beazley, its people, its T: 07803 891623 a public recruitment, I applied along with others style, its appreciation of our sport, have been [email protected] APRIL 2015 THE SWORD 5 GB CADET AND JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS, 2015 with photos from Niki Bruckner A SPECIAL REPORT BY KARIM narrowly overcame Bethan Plant (Millfield), 12- relatively one-sided fights followed as De 11 but the number three seed, Danielle Lawson Almeida beat Bird 15-8 and Bates cruised past BASHIR (Stourport) had an easier time in beating Wooley 15-4. Victoria Hide (Team Newcastle) 15-7. INCLUDING EXCLUSIVE VIDEO Both De Almeida and Bates took a cautious FOOTAGE With Sheffield towering over Lawson in the approach to the start of the final but it was the The GB Cadet Championships took place on gold medal match it was no surprise to see fencer from Fighting Fit who broke away.