Cadet and Junior World Championships - Belek, Turkey

[Smyles]

Originally Posted by occasionalfencer

...another fencer on the same list (Beisheim Benedikt, winner of Jr. Men's Saber) is listed as GER. So what does GER stand for in French?

Originally Posted by Timacheff

Until a few years ago, the FIE was using a French-based standard (which accounts for the "ALL" abbreviation for Germany). At that point, they decided unilaterally to adopt the Olympic standard for abbreviations, which is in use now....

There are still a few scattered cases of the old French system in use, but that's the answer.

Which would seem to suggest that it's the Olympic standard being used now so the ALL is from before this change was adopted.

The GER, therefore, is from the new standard, not the French, and so has no link to any French abbreviation.

[Capt. Slo-mo]

Ukraine wins the JR WS Team event, handily beating the Russians, 45-32.

It's been a tough day for the American squad. They returned all three gold medalists (Caroline Vloka, Becca Ward and Dagmara Wozniak)from Korea's JR World Championship team, but the signs of danger were there: the three Juniors didn't do nearly as well in individual competitions earlier this week as in Korea, and the Ukranians have looked strong all week.

After narrowly avoiding an upset in the round of 8 to France, the American coaches put in the alternate, Eileen Hassett of Oregon, for Caroline Vloka, who had gone -6 against France. It was Eileen's first appearance at a World Championship, and she fenced strongly in her three bouts against Puerto Rico.

The match starts badly for the US. Dagmara goes 0-5 against the Russian Diatchenko. Becca runs off a 9-5 score in her first appearance, and the US is right back in it, 9-10. Eileen steps to the line and does just what the coaches were hoping for, a 6-4 run to give the Americans a 15-14 lead. Dagmara returns and increases the lead to 20-18 with a 5-4 victory.

On Eileen’s second appearance, though, the match begins to slip away. She falls to Diatchenko 3-7, and the US falls behind 23-25. Becca finishes her second bout up 6-5, and cuts the lead to one, 29-30. Eileen comes to the strip for the last time, and the US is desperate for points. She can’t amass enough winning actions, and loses 3-5. The Russian lead swells to 35-32. Dagmara wins her third bout, but only gains a point, 6-5, and the Russians enter the final bout, Diatchenko against Becca, up 38-40. The Russian is unstoppable, and wins out 5-1 to seal the semi-final win 45-39.

For the match, Dagmara is -3, Eileen is -4, and Becca is +1. Diatchenko is +13, singlehandedly propelling the Russians in the gold medal bout against Ukraine.

In the consolation bout, the Americans rally to easily put away the Polish squad, and come home with a Bronze medal for the US.

It’s another disappointing day for the American squad. The US squad has only 1 Gold, one Silver, and 3 Bronze medals, well down from the tally of 11--including 5 Golds-from Korea. There are only two days of team competition remaining.

[Zilverzmurfen]

Originally Posted by Capt. Slo-mo

The US squad has only 1 Gold, one Silver, and 3 Bronze medals...

"Only"..?

That's fantastic results. Leave some for the rest of the world, you miser!

[fencerbill]

Originally Posted by Zilverzmurfen

"Only"..?

That's fantastic results. Leave some for the rest of the world, you miser!

And from the country hogging Womens Junior Epee.

[Zilverzmurfen]

Another hope of gold crumbles to dust: Estonia beats Sweden 45-43. Swedens JWE team takes 9th.

[fencerbill]

Originally Posted by Zilverzmurfen

Another hope of gold crumbles to dust: Estonia beats Sweden 45-43. Swedens JWE team takes 9th.

Perhaps now you can appreciate some of our frustrations with our Women's Sabre team results from time to time.

[VFrom]

Originally Posted by Zilverzmurfen

Another hope of gold crumbles to dust: Estonia beats Sweden 45-43. Swedens JWE team takes 9th.

Top ranked Sweden was unlucky to get such a tough first match. Estonias 17th rank(!) after the individual competition doesnt really reflect their class, they made it to a nice 4th place.

Lets hope for success tomorrow in the JME team!

[Zilverzmurfen]

Originally Posted by fencerbill

Perhaps now you can appreciate some of our frustrations with our Women's Sabre team results from time to time.

You must have not gotten the tongue-in-cheek 'tone' of my post, Bill.

[fencerbill]

Originally Posted by Zilverzmurfen

You must have not gotten the tongue-in-cheek 'tone' of my post, Bill.

With two medals and another top 16, why wouldn't both of us have expected a better result? The mysteries of how performance can vary from day to day. And probably also how there can be letdowns after peaks.

[whtouche]

Is the womens sabre USA v Russia video on the fencingchannel.tv website working for anyone?
For me it is one of a few videos up on the site which does not play. Anyone else have this issue?

[erooMynohtnA]

I also have that problem, and it occurs with numerous videos.

[bigdawg2121]

Yeah, the whole videos just not working thing is more than just a little annoying.

[twisterfencing]

capt.slo-mo

Wow!
From reading your post below, you really must have had a really bad time in Belek. You must have been very miserable setting in the Atlantis with all the smoke and bad technology.

Yes, you are right, Turkey is not as advanced as our own Hollywood type productions we are used too. Yes, europe and the mid-east have not adopted the anti-smoking policies that we have here in the US, but know this, I was there as well and really enjoyed it. Mainly the fencing.

The only complaint that I had and voiced was: Pine Hall A and B, the darn hotel just would not turn on the AC. Those fencers were hotter than heck and then fencing. I saw the French cadet sabre fencer chunk in his mask due to heat. These guys and gals were so hot it was sickening.

Over all, I had a great time.


Gary Spruill

Originally Posted by Capt. Slo-mo

Random observations from the World Championships:

1. Too small, too hot: The 2007 Cadet/Jr World Champs were originally supposed to be held in Izmir, Turkey, but were moved to Belek. If Belek’s ability to put on the Big Show was judged superior to Izmir‘s, I would have hated to see the setup in Izmir. The competition venues are spread between two hotels. There are strips scattered everywhere…in small halls, underneath balconies, in basements, none with enough room to accommodate spectators, none with adequate ventilation.
I’m all for the FIE helping countries like Turkey showcase a favored locale like the Turkish Riviera, but someone in Switzerland needs to crack the whip a little harder on what is an acceptable venue arrangement, and what isn’t.

2. Another Opening, Another Show: Welcome to pomp and pageantry brought to you by: Microsoft. Last year’s opening ceremonies in Korea featured several amazing dance and musical numbers by beautifully costumed Korean performers. Last night we were treated to a lissome young dancer, dressed in fencing whites, who folded herself into a small box on stage in an act straight out of vaudeville. A second dancer dressed in spiked heel boots and a black outfit just shy of Turkish Dominatrix then proceded to dramatically insert three giant sabers into the box. There was much posturing and flourishing of swords. I’m assuming the fencer eventually escaped unharmed, but I got distracted into helping set up the slow-motion replay camera, and missed the big finish. But by then, I had largely lost interest.

The opening event showed why technology is not always an improvement. The organizers had produced a video to show on the big screen. We knew this, because the projector kept showing us the Windows Media Player utility while they tried to get the video going. Nothing creates crowd excitement like a Whirling Dervish Cursor!

Then, in a moment any of us who have ever used a Microsoft product can empathize with, they finally got it organized, hit play, and the program crashes. No video. They have to go all the way back to the desk top, and reboot the video program. There is much sympathetic laughter in the crowd. After a bit, the video is launched. No audio. Hmmm…now what?

Exit the program, more laughter from the crowd. Wait, it’s Windows XP…anyone check the little audio icon on the toolbar? Sure enough, the dancing cursor opens the audio panel, unmutes the system with a dramatic flair….and we’re off!!

To what, I’m not really sure. We’re treated to about ten minutes of Turkish Tourism Board beauty shots of people and places in the country, very nicely shot. But it is intercut at seemingly random intervals--in a frenetic, the editor needs to drink a bit less coffee sort of way--with blurry, over-exposed video clips of archival fencing video from what appears to be World Cup or World Championship action. It’s not really clear what the point is, but boy, did they get a lot of edits in the piece.

Then, for the awards ceremony, no flag bearing honor guard, just computer-generated cartoon flags on the big screen, that drifted upwards in mimicry of a flag raising, while a 20-second version of the national anthem played. I teared up so badly, I had to sit for a while and quit shooting.

Really.

Oh, and two Americans got medals, but you knew that, anyway.

3. Smokers. What is it about Europeans (and Turks) and smoking? It is rampant here. Nearly every local we’ve seen so far has a cigarette in their mouth. Nearly every Euro-type in the hotel, the lobby, the restaurant, the hallways all are trailing smoke streams like an under-sized tug towing the Queen Mary. The only consolation here….the walkways lined with jasmine trees and flowering fruit trees. It’s a scent to embrace and remember during the Walk of LungDeath across the hotel lobby.

[KD5MDK]

It seems typical when people hold tournaments outside of Texas it is very difficult to get air conditioning turned on.

[Capt. Slo-mo]

Actually, the error was discovered about Day 5. There were two giant, Frankenstein-laboratory type switches on the wall by the DT desk. One was labelled: "Air Conditioning" the other: "Crank UP The "Entrance Music" to Earsplitting Decibel Levels Dwarfing a 747 Engine Turbine."

One was turned down all the way, the other cranked up all the way. They didn't notice until about halfway through the Championships that the two signs had been installed reversed.

Once they did, it got much cooler and quieter.

Twister: actually, with a couple of very specific exceptions, I had a great time in Belek. Having a virtually private dinner with a bunch of cool USA fencers and cadre, tucked inside the walls of a 2,000 year old temple, was the highlight of the trip on our last night in Belek.

What others may perceive as carping and whining (when talking about certain events and venues) I prefer to think of as wry observations on the human condition. Potayto, potahto.

[PeterGustafsson]

Hi!

Originally Posted by Capt. Slo-mo

Twister: actually, with a couple of very specific exceptions, I had a great time in Belek. Having a virtually private dinner with a bunch of cool USA fencers and cadre, tucked inside the walls of a 2,000 year old temple, was the highlight of the trip on our last night in Belek.

When going abroad, the highlight being meeting other people from your own country, who arrived at the same time! With a bit of planning, could you not have met them without crossing the Atlantic? Should you not seek out whatever Turkey has to offer, and no other place can offer to get the most bang for the buck?

Congratulation for the medals!


Have a nice time!

Peter Gustafsson

[bigdawg2121]

Please remember this thought Peter the next time you have occasion to go abroad with a significant other. The handsome local she's going out to dinner with is just her way of experiencing something your country doesn't offer without you (b/c she could take you home without leaving her town). It'll be ok though, b/c you'll have no problem wooing another woman when you get home since apparently where you live there are secluded 2 millenia old temples aplenty and they all have 5 star dining.

But hey, lest I be taken for an insensitive clod, allow me to point out that in my scenario someone is indeed getting a whole lotta bang for Peter's bucks!!!

[Capt. Slo-mo]

Peter:

There were several of us left in Turkey for a free day before flying home. We chartered a mini-bus and a driver, and took the group to a fully intact Roman Ampitheater dating to 100 A.D., and then wandered through another set of 2000 year old ruins along the Mediterranean, finally stopping at the ruins of a temple to Apollo, which still had four giant columns and most of the pediment intact.

We just happened to stumble into a seaside restaurant, which had a private dining area tucked back into other temple walls. For a couple of hours, we enjoyed a delightful Turkish dinner, entertained by the tall tales of the proprieter.

It was a great ending to a trip of mixed results for the USA. I'm not sure why you think we should have been doing anything differently.

[PeterGustafsson]

Hi!

Originally Posted by Capt. Slo-mo

It was a great ending to a trip of mixed results for the USA. I'm not sure why you think we should have been doing anything differently.

Mixed? Well, the WS team can not win every gold all the time!

No, that was a perfect way to end a trip. Just that I did not get that impression from your previous post.


Have a nice (tobacco-free and AC-ed) time!

Peter Gustafsson