Converting Disappointments into Success, then Grief into Olympic Glory: Keith Smart’s Olympic Journey
Keeth Smart anchored the US men’s saber team in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics and earlier in his career was the first American fencer to be ranked number one in the world.
He has led the charge to bring men’s saber fencing out of the shadows and into the limelight of well-known and respected Olympic sports. His life is epitomized by overcoming obstacles.
As part of the Nike branding launch for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Nike.com created a nice multimedia press site highlighting the various products that were launching at the Olympics. One of the products was the Ballestra, the fencing shoe designed by Nike with input from world class fencers.
Rumors have shown up on the Fencing Discussion board that Nike had decided to halt production of the new fencing shoe, the Ballestra, and only supply them to the fencers at the Olympic Games.
So, what is the story on the Nike fencing shoe and how can you get one?
Tracy Hurley is the candidate for USFA president and heading up "US Fencers For Change," a group of candidates that provide alternatives to the slate of candidates recommended by the nominating committee of the USFA.
In our audio interview, we spoke with Tracy Hurley about the US Fencers for Change and their platform.
Ioan Pop is the Technical Director for the International Fencing Federation (FIE).
Serge Timacheff of FencingPhotos.com caught up with Mr. Pop at the 2008 Junior and Cadet World championships to discuss the advances in fencing technologies that have brought us the "wireless" scoring systems and also discuss the newest changes to foil.
Rumors have shown up on the Fencing Discussion board that Nike had decided to halt production of the new fencing shoe, the Ballestra, and only supply them to the fencers at the Olympic Games.
Ioan Pop is the Technical Director for the International Fencing Federation (FIE). 
