Weekend in Paris...

[Boo Boo]

I just had a very eventful time in Paris...

As Soos has pointed out, here was a strike. The first day of the individual womens foil World Cup went on as normal, but the second day (Last 64 down) - on Saturday - was boycotted by the fencers. The women turned up, but refused to fence on mass. Then the women hung around (most chatting, Italians playing volleyball) until the check-in time for the men's foil team World Cup (which was being held in the same venue later the same morning).

The mens teams also agreed to boycott the World Cup and, eventually it was agreed to fence the competition, but as a "friendly". No medals or World Cup points were awarded. The German men did not fence at all.

In the evening, the "Gala" final still went ahead, but with demonstration matches instead. First their was a reconstruction of the mens foil World Championship final between Attaley (FRA) and Sanzo (ITA). Then there was a womens foil team match between the FRA (Willieme, Moumas, Ibrahim and Maitrejean) against the "rest of the world" (Vezalli (ITA), Bau (GER), Lim (KOR) and Halls (AUS)). It was all quite nice to watch, but rather "staged" (lacked much excitment).

I felt rather sorry for the competitors who had travelled along way (Chinese, Koreans, Americans etc.).

Boo
(glad, in a funny way, that she didn't manage to make the L64 this past weekend).

[Zelda]

[ 05-06-2002: Message edited by: Zelda ]</p>

[Boo Boo]

On a related topic, does anyone know if the New York womens foil A-grade will still happen?

Boo

[Boo Boo]

A few pictures taken from this weekend's World Cup in Paris...

Hand painted signs of demonstration:
<a href="http://www.curvica.com/parisphoto/strike3.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.curvica.com/parisphoto/strike3.jpg</a>
<a href="http://www.curvica.com/parisphoto/strike4.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.curvica.com/parisphoto/strike4.jpg</a>

Competitors waiting around for various decisions to be made:
<a href="http://www.curvica.com/parisphoto/hall2.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.curvica.com/parisphoto/hall2.jpg</a>

Demonstrators (including Sabine Bau and Ralf Bistof) talking to TV cameras:
<a href="http://www.curvica.com/parisphoto/discussion.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.curvica.com/parisphoto/discussion.j pg</a>

Some of the Italian team playing volleyball whilst waiting for the outcome of discussions:
<a href="http://www.curvica.com/parisphoto/volley.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.curvica.com/parisphoto/volley.jpg</a>

A speech was given by Adeline Wuilleme (surrounded by a number of women foilists from various nations) at the demonstration gala on Saturday evening:
<a href="http://www.curvica.com/parisphoto/speech.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.curvica.com/parisphoto/speech.jpg</a>

[ 05-06-2002: Message edited by: Boo Boo ]

[ 05-06-2002: Message edited by: Boo Boo ]</p>

[foxwhelp]

[quote]Originally posted by Boo Boo:
<strong>
A speech was given by Adeline Wuilleme (surrounded by a number of women foilists from various nations) at the demonstration gala on Saturday evening:
<a href="http://www.curvica.com/parisphoto/speech.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.curvica.com/parisphoto/speech.jpg</a>

</strong><hr></blockquote>

Okay, in this shot, on the strip, it says Escrime TV.com

Anyone have any idea what that is?

[ChubbyHubby]

[quote]Okay, in this shot, on the strip, it says Escrime TV.com<hr></blockquote>

look at <a href="http://www.escrime-tv.com" target="_blank">www.escrime-tv.com</a>

not great quality but some video clips

[Stryder]

I was excited to hear that the fencers had chosen to protest the IOC's decision by striking. But I was a little dissapointed to hear that they had shanged their minds and decided to fence anyway, just poorly.

What a lame protest.

If they gave the tournament organisers a tournament to watch/show/photograph what did they take away? All they really got did was complain a little and hurt themselves by not fencing or earning points.

Congrats to the German team for refusing outright.

[Boo Boo]

Considering that mens foil teams came from so far away as China and Korea, I think that it was the right decision to fence a friendly competition: good training and doesn't make the trip fell quite as wasted.

The demonstration fights were not exciting, but it was still good to see good technique.

Boo

[Inquartata]

I don't see what they hope to accomplish. Hurting the FIE is going to affect the IOC? It's like municipal workers going on strike over something the federal government did.

The IOC takes a dim view of fencing in the first place---and this is going to make them either chuckle or yawn. Not much more.

[veeco]

I don't think that the target is the IOC. The target is the FIE and they are contesting the fact that the FIE had to draw lots to decide which weapons would be out just 2 years before the actual olympics.

Obviously, that's poor planning on the FIE's side.

Some people are sitting and watching and others have decided to voice their opinion.

One thing worth mentionning is that in Europe going "on strike" is a quite common thing. If you are not happy, you go down in the street, show some placards, tell some slogans and the powers that be listen to you.

This is quite a different thing that what the run of the mill american would do. The average american would write to their congressman instead.

I'm not condoning or condemning any method, they are just different ways of expressing that the people you've voted for are not doing the job they expected right.

[Stryder]

The typical American would just sit around complaining about it. Even letters to congressmen are a pretty rare form of protest. 15000 fencers working together still isn't a real market share.

I doubt a strike of fencers is sending the IOC into their underground shelters. Who knows, they may care if fencers are unhappy and give up a pair of medals to shut us up.

[veeco]

I agree that most people in both cultures are indeed going to do nothing and sit around complaining about it.

I was trying to draw the difference in terms of those few who actually do something, hence my saying "Some people are sitting and watching while others have decided to voice their opinion".