FIE Congress 2003 - Minutes (09/07/04)

[JEC]

The minutes of the FIE Congress held 10 months ago (11/03) were finally published.

http://www.fie.ch/download/letters/2...9-04-3%20L.pdf

It is an interesting read considering that it changes considerably the strategy for two of the weapons.

Sorry, I posted above the introduction letter. These are the minutes:

http://www.fie.ch/download/letters/2...ongres-ANG.pdf

[Inquartata]

All I see is an introductory page...

[veeco]

The rest of the pages are on the FIE website, the links are different.

[DHCJr]

Even on the site, the various reports are not present. It only has 104 pages, while the index states the annexes start on page 105.

[Neil]

Interesting. For those who don't want to plough through the whole thing, the bits of discussion about the foil and sabre changes are on pages 41,42, 87-92 and 100. The changes are presented to the congress as a way to remove flicks from foil, and promote attacks with a straight arm. The Italian representative didn't seem too happy about it!

I like Rene Roch's comment on the vote on removing the off-target light in foil:

"38 are for, 44 are against, so we do not cancel the registering of non-valid hits, we keep this famous white light, which gives us a bit more lighting during competitions."

Sounds like a wry comment on a decision that didn't go the way he would have liked.

[darius]

I liked the French delegate's remark:

Our coaches simply told us "then we are going to do muscle-development exercises with our fencers, we will do many muscle-development exercises, and with the whipping hit, the impact, even if it is long, will switch on the light".

But I'm a little curious -- in this document, Roche seemed very clear that this would be a *test* on the junior level only, and there was even some discussion of it being tested at only the cadet level so as not to mess with juniors who are also fencing senior.

What happened that enabled the "test" to move to the senior level, and it's now being talked about as if the changes are a done deal. Did something else happen, or is this just a clever coup for the folks who are trying to make lots and lots of changes?

darius

[Rolls]

Originally Posted by darius

I liked the French delegate's remark:



But I'm a little curious -- in this document, Roche seemed very clear that this would be a *test* on the junior level only, and there was even some discussion of it being tested at only the cadet level so as not to mess with juniors who are also fencing senior.

What happened that enabled the "test" to move to the senior level, and it's now being talked about as if the changes are a done deal. Did something else happen, or is this just a clever coup for the folks who are trying to make lots and lots of changes?

darius

Yea, I would guess that there's a lot of people who are really happy about the changes and want to see them sped through.

Rolls.

[S. Hunter]

Just wait, two or three years down the road when the fie mandates that flicking the blade is a red card and the blades have to be as solid as railroad tracks, the traditional italian grip will rule you all. The few of us that use it are slowly watching in the shadows, waiting to strike out with the full fury of the old italian school!

Er.... Or I hope atleast :-D

[nahouw]

Originally Posted by darius

What happened that enabled the "test" to move to the senior level, and it's now being talked about as if the changes are a done deal. Did something else happen, or is this just a clever coup for the folks who are trying to make lots and lots of changes?

darius

This came about because of national federation concerns -- they apparently see the inevitabilty of the decision, and it is the federations who were the ones who requested this expanded to the senior level. If it was kept as test for juniors only and not on senior level, how would one explain the disparate results of a hot junior on the senior circuit compared to their results on the junior circuit under the new timings??

Seems to me that federations where trying out the new timings and they want it put in place earlier.

[TooLoftheDeviL]

Originally Posted by S. Hunter

Just wait, two or three years down the road when the fie mandates that flicking the blade is a red card and the blades have to be as solid as railroad tracks, the traditional italian grip will rule you all. The few of us that use it are slowly watching in the shadows, waiting to strike out with the full fury of the old italian school!

Er.... Or I hope atleast :-D

And then you wake up, wishing you used a real grip :P

[Aeric]

The Spanish.

[DHCJr]

Originally Posted by darius

But I'm a little curious -- in this document, Roche seemed very clear that this would be a *test* on the junior level only, and there was even some discussion of it being tested at only the cadet level so as not to mess with juniors who are also fencing senior.
darius

It was never considered at just the cadet level. How many cadet World Cups are there? None, so originally it was only going to be for the Junior World Cups. Then consider the World Championship, they would need double the amount of machines, first one set for the Cadets, then one for the Juniors. Also what about the cadets fencing the Senior World Cups?

The reason for adding the seniors was 2-fold. When the new tip was going to be required, there was a question they would need major manufacturing push, they were more controvesial and the senior have more clout and the organizers that have both Junior and Senior World cups didn't want to get 2 sets of machines. So when the tips were dropped, there was less who were against the change.

[Epeecurean]

I'd still like to see the mangiarotti point be introduced, if only to see you foilists fuss over your points as much as we epeeists do.