Increase Veteran Eligibility age to 50?

[Anne]

I have heard that there has been discussion about increasing the age to qualify for veteran competition to 50 and over, up from the current 40 and over. Has anyone else heard about this?

[Mergs]

Yes, it is supposed to keep up with the FIE requirements. I guess that once our veterans begin winning the 50 year old group, they'll raise it to 60!

[sabreuse]

Oh great! I finally get within sight of it and it moves further away.

[MikeHarm]

I think its a good idea. I saw some posts complaining about it not being fair to have someone 40 years old fencing someone who was 20, but I think the advantage goes to the older fencer who might of trained more years than the younger person has been alive. And I like the idea of another 10 years of competition in the senior division, which suits me fine.

Mike

[This message has been edited by MikeHarm (edited 01-05-2001).]

[Link14]

I e-mailed the "Grayblade", the chairperson for the Veterans Fencing Committee. Here's what he wrote back:

"Actually, the USFA Veterans Committee met at the NAC in Ontario and decided to revise the system that is proposed for next season because we all want to include 40-year-olds no matter what standards the FIE has in place. We have
formed a subcommittee that is working on a new proposal...I also have to point out that the current plan does not "exclude" 40-year-olds, but diminishes their participation by limiting them to the Summer Nationals ( Which is the only national veterans
competition anyone had up until two years ago!)"


Sounds like they're still working on it.

Link

[Stryder]

Anyone who has ever seen Ed Kaihatsu or Jamie Doraghy in a veterans event would agree that they deserve to be fencing the Junior events more than they deserve to be fencing the Vet's!

[edew]

Just wait until Michael McCahey and Michael Marx decides to jump into the veterans. Maybe Mark Smith might want to join in as well. That'll make the veterans event all the more, er, inconvenient, for the novice veterans. Can we say Div II/III veterans, anyone?