Fencing.Net - Your Guide to Fencing & Fencing Equipment

Fencergrl · 08-09-2008, 08:20 PM

I just flipped on the CBC to see our Canadian women's soccer team score against China!! Yeah! Team Canada!!!

Inquartata · 08-09-2008, 08:46 PM

Don't make me post my soccer song again.

fencerbill · 08-10-2008, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fencergrl

I just flipped on the CBC to see our Canadian women's soccer team score against China!! Yeah! Team Canada!!!

And held on for the 1-1 tie. Is that a good result for Canada?

Looks like they will advance with win or tie with Sweden in their last pool match.

GOOD LUCK!

Fencergrl · 08-10-2008, 03:34 PM

In Canada, we're hoping for a top 16 finish overall in the medals. We're not an ambitious country, just a realistic one. We're more of a "Winter Olympics" kind of country.

AndrewH · 08-10-2008, 03:43 PM

So I was watching the Women's 10M Pistol yesterday, the Chinese girl who won is a BEAST. Everyone else was wearing earmuffs, glasses, blinders, or closing one eye. She was only wearing a visor and shooting with both eyes open- and she was hitting 10 or above on almost every shot, won the gold medal. Pretty impressive.

Fencergrl · 08-10-2008, 05:38 PM

The Chinese government is really pushing their athletes to dominate this Olympics. So far it seems to be working... 6 golds in the last couple days is impressive. China is the country to beat.

telkanuru · 08-11-2008, 06:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndrewH

So I was watching the Women's 10M Pistol yesterday, the Chinese girl who won is a BEAST. Everyone else was wearing earmuffs, glasses, blinders, or closing one eye. She was only wearing a visor and shooting with both eyes open- and she was hitting 10 or above on almost every shot, won the gold medal. Pretty impressive.

Her day job is shooting dissidents. This is pretty easy!

Empty Wallet · 08-11-2008, 06:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndrewH

So I was watching the Women's 10M Pistol yesterday, the Chinese girl who won is a BEAST. Everyone else was wearing earmuffs, glasses, blinders, or closing one eye. She was only wearing a visor and shooting with both eyes open- and she was hitting 10 or above on almost every shot, won the gold medal. Pretty impressive.

I used to pistol shoot very competitively, so this description is interesting.

For the 10 airpistol, airmuffs are not necessary as a noise suppressant -- although the high pitch noise can cause cumulative damage. People wear them to block out extraneous noise, and part of the "uniform" as they must be warn for live ammo events.

Oddly, some people shoot with both eyes open, but train one eye to go out of focus. I shot with a few people like that but could never fathom how they did it. I always had a patch on one lens of my shooting glasses.

Redblade · 08-11-2008, 10:23 AM

When I saw the header for this thread, I chuckled -- Other sports?! There are no other sports!

DJ Apostrophe · 08-11-2008, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fencergrl

The Chinese government is really pushing their athletes to dominate this Olympics. So far it seems to be working... 6 golds in the last couple days is impressive. China is the country to beat.

Not working so well in fencing as of yet.

Tan was a huge disappointment for Bauer.

I'm sure he's got fingers and toes crossed that Wang and/or Zhong will put a run together in the MS tonight.

If they don't, he'll probably start feeling some pressure from his superiors in China, as he was brought in to get medals at these games.

I wonder if he'll still be there after the Olympics... regardless of what happens in the remaining events. (They are paying him QUITE a hefty salary, I don't know if they'll want to continue that after these games).

-w

hello? · 08-11-2008, 11:22 AM

The problem might be that you can't 'handpick' fencers at three years old, as you can pick gymnasts....Did you see the special on the Chinese gymnast training program? They literally handpick the 'bendable' three-year olds and from then on their fate is decided! I wonder about the fate of the ones who lose their flexibility at seven!....Pretty amazing to watch, whether they're 16 or 10!

fencerbill · 08-11-2008, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hello?

The problem might be that you can't 'handpick' fencers at three years old, as you can pick gymnasts....Did you see the special on the Chinese gymnast training program? They literally handpick the 'bendable' three-year olds and from then on their fate is decided! I wonder about the fate of the ones who lose their flexibility at seven!....Pretty amazing to watch, whether they're 16 or 10!

I caught a human interest piece on Chinese acrobatic schools, although I don't know whether they are a source or sink for the bendable three-year olds.

Fencergrl · 08-11-2008, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hello?

The problem might be that you can't 'handpick' fencers at three years old, as you can pick gymnasts....Did you see the special on the Chinese gymnast training program? They literally handpick the 'bendable' three-year olds and from then on their fate is decided! I wonder about the fate of the ones who lose their flexibility at seven!....Pretty amazing to watch, whether they're 16 or 10!

They also switch athletes around. Jujie Luan was on her (I think) 3rd sport when she was put into fencing. While it's quite different than how it is here, their system makes a lot of sense considering China's population and history.

hello? · 08-11-2008, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fencergrl

They also switch athletes around. Jujie Luan was on her (I think) 3rd sport when she was put into fencing. While it's quite different than how it is here, their system makes a lot of sense considering China's population and history.

Different how? My daughter did field hockey, twan-do, and lacrosse before switching to fencing...(I am JUST kidding. And, wow, I didn't know that about Jujie Luan...What other sports did she try, do you know?)

Fencergrl · 08-11-2008, 05:12 PM

I switched around in sports as well sometimes because of my friends, sometimes because I was asked never because I was evaluated at being more suitable for one sport over another.

I can't remember where I read about it... I remember she did track and field and was rather good at it before being switched to fencing. Here's a wiki reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luan_Jujie

Fencergrl · 08-11-2008, 05:16 PM

Here's another good article:http://www.nationalpost.com/sports/story.html?id=707836

To mimic f-net Cornflower and her in Soviet Russia shtick... "In China, YOU don't pick sports, THEY pick YOU!"

hello? · 08-11-2008, 06:05 PM

Great article.

Fencergrl · 08-11-2008, 06:22 PM

Yeah... it explained it better than my awkward attempts. Imagine coming in 2nd. place at Nationals after fencing for 3 weeks...

hello? · 08-11-2008, 09:55 PM

And how can those coaches spot such talent across sports? (And what about those synchronized divers they're showing now? Cool!!!!)

MyrddinsPrecint · 08-12-2008, 03:52 PM

So, in college I took classes in sea kayaking and whitewater kayaking--- whitewater kayaking being the single scariest thing I have done on purpose in my life (class two rapid when I can see my breath? suuuuuuure..... Swimming in ice melt? fuuuuunnnnn.....)

There was another class that did whitewater canoeing. Now, boat design is open in the olympics, and design is based on how you sit, length and weight........ but, to me, a canoe is something you can't do an eskimo roll in, and the kayaks and canoes look astonishingly similar.