USA Fencing 3 - Canada 0

[dekko]

Just to clarify that's all of Canada not just the fencing.

Hey Canada, the olympics have started, feel free to start competing for real!

It's go time junior! This isn't an olympics warmup this is the real deal.

Has anyone told them? What the hell Canada?

No one expects a flood of medals but get one? Maybe a bronze somewhere? Maybe?

Guess not......

[rchung]

Personally, I would have postponed creating this thread until after women's epee was done, but that's just me...

[epeemike81]

Originally Posted by rchung

Personally, I would have postponed creating this thread until after women's epee was done, but that's just me...

I wouldn't have created it at all...

Note: Not all Americans are as pompous and obnoxious as dekko.

-m

[Fencergrl]

We typically are stronger at the Winter Olympics, but still... it's early and many of the events we are strong at having happened yet.

[dekko]

Originally Posted by epeemike81

I wouldn't have created it at all...

Note: Not all Americans are as pompous and obnoxious as dekko.

-m

Wow, yeah, mike is neeeeeeever obnoxious.


Anway, merely pointing out Canada has no medals and uauslly they do much better. What happened to canada? Hope the WE event does give some medals of some kind. Just surprised canada has repped better.

[Greybeard]

Canada - America's hat

[ThatReallyHurt]

I managed to stay up late enough to catch the CBC's coverage of Jujie Luan's first WF bout. She won, whoo!

That match had the most boring commentary I'd ever heard. If all of the play-by-plays are done that way for fencing, it's no wonder nobody pays attention to it. It was like... listening to someone reading the ingredients off a Pop-Tart box.

There was also no effort spent whatsoever to make what was happening understandable to anyone who was watching.

There are two people trying to hit each other with pieces of metal. Wake up and get excited about it!!!

And, uh... if anyone else saw that bout, can you explain why she stepped off the back of the strip there? Nerves? Bad lighting? Strategy?

[telkanuru]

Originally Posted by dekko

Wow, yeah, mike is neeeeeeever obnoxious.

I don't believe I saw him say that.

[Fencergrl]

Originally Posted by ThatReallyHurt

And, uh... if anyone else saw that bout, can you explain why she stepped off the back of the strip there? Nerves? Bad lighting? Strategy?

Brain Fart? I think she was tired, knew there was very little time left and wanted to just stay away from her opponent... and just took a step too far.

Did you see her second bout? I think CBC has a video clip available.
I liked the commentary BTW, I thought it was quite good.

[hello?]

Originally Posted by dekko

Anway, merely pointing out Canada has no medals and uauslly they do much better. What happened to canada? Hope the WE event does give some medals of some kind. Just surprised canada has repped better.

Even this unnecessary post is a slightly better tone than how you opened. I have to agree with Mike!

[XanderHal]

We just recently overhauled our athlete development. A lot of events I've watched have Canadians setting new Canadian records, so I think we are improving, just not enough to catch up with other countries that invest a whole ****load more into their athletics programs. Maybe in a few years our new program will catch up.

I definitely think there will be a few Canadian medals (hopefully one in WE) before we're done in Beijing.

[Fencergrl]

Pssst... Canadians we're coming up to Day 6 and we're still shutout. Here's the plan... We sneak our athletes off in the cover of darkness, then claim we were never there. Yup we boycotted. Took a stand over human rights and boycotted the Olympics. That's are story and we're sticking to it.

Dekko, I don't know what you're talking about. Canada isn't at the Olympics. Our athletes are safely tucked in their beds at home. We boycotted the Olympics. You know... human rights and all. Tis-tis... I can't believe YOU Americans went. Have you no shame? Think of the Tibetans! Free Tibet!

[veeco]

Wait until the end of the triathlon and rowing events...

[Fencergrl]

Thanks... we're all feeling a little "kicked in the nuts" this morning. Anyone see the CBC interview? I can really understand the built-up frustration over not being supported in her own country. To make it worse, many Canadians are being really hard on her. Just what someone needs when they're down.

People keep complaining about the "age of our fencers". What they can't get through their thick skulls is that it's related to funding. Schalm, Luan, Tikhomirov have all had the majority of their training outside of Canada (either self-funded or by another country). We can't put together a winning Olympian when they only get a paid coach for 1 year leading up. It can't be done.

[XanderHal]

Originally Posted by Fencergrl

Thanks... we're all feeling a little "kicked in the nuts" this morning. Anyone see the CBC interview?

I did. She definitely seemed like she had a lot of emotions running through her even after she "cooled down" for the interview. I think not only would she have liked to medal, but the pressure was on her to get the first Canadian medal so that made it even worse.

I feel bad for her, but this type of thing happens especially in epee. Just because she's ranked high doesn't guarantee a medal. Maybe as a fencer I don't have as unrealistic expectations as the general population. People should give her a break, and hopefully she's able to give herself a break too. I don't think ranting about the COC is a great idea for her right now. Perhaps she can take up the cause later.

[fencerbill]

Originally Posted by dekko

Just to clarify that's all of Canada not just the fencing.

Hey Canada, the olympics have started, feel free to start competing for real!

It's go time junior! This isn't an olympics warmup this is the real deal.

Has anyone told them? What the hell Canada?

No one expects a flood of medals but get one? Maybe a bronze somewhere? Maybe?

Guess not......

I don't think anyone from the US has the justification to put down any other country about earning fencing Olympic medals. Sure, this is a good year, but what is the total sum of fencing medals the US has won in a hundred years? We may have to take off the second glove but we can keep our shoes on.

[Fencergrl]

Originally Posted by XanderHal

I did. She definitely seemed like she had a lot of emotions running through her even after she "cooled down" for the interview. I think not only would she have liked to medal, but the pressure was on her to get the first Canadian medal so that made it even worse.

I feel bad for her, but this type of thing happens especially in epee. Just because she's ranked high doesn't guarantee a medal. Maybe as a fencer I don't have as unrealistic expectations as the general population. People should give her a break, and hopefully she's able to give herself a break too. I don't think ranting about the COC is a great idea for her right now. Perhaps she can take up the cause later.

I agree. I think there was way too much pressure put on her by everyone, especially herself.

I also agree about the interview. I think if she had more time to pull herself together, she would have been different. She is normally very good in interviews. Instead she came off a little whiny... then again, that is the mood. I think there was another athlete who responded to someone asking about their team's loss by saying "What do you expect? Our funding was cut in half" and walked away.

Every summer it's the same.... only this time we have the athletes complaining in their interviews. I'm not sure if this is a good or bad thing. It might embarrass us into doing something more than "talking about it".

[Robert Smith]

The Canadian boxer who lost his one fight by 20-1 said very much the same thing. No funding, limited access to international competition. The latter doesn't apply to Sherraine, but the first sure does.

So how does fencing funding compare in other countries? From what I'm told, the CFF is pretty much broke after its legal tangles with Phillipe Beaudry and whoever the other contender for men's saber was - I understand there was some issue over which tournaments were used for qualification. So no funding for individual athletes from there. The Quebec government funds to the extent of $1 million a year, I'm told - please, someone correct me if I'm wrong - but I don't believe there's anywhere near so much funding in the other provinces.

Do other countries support their national team members? I was amazed when I heard that our fencers received no support whatsoever when fencing World Cups - not for travel, accommodation, food, not even for entry fees. Or is that the norm? Pretty sad either way.

[Fencergrl]

I am told by the athletes other countries take pity on them and sometimes help them out. Our athletes are referred (by other athletes) to as "volunteers" (as opposed to amateur athletes or pros). It's a good description. If you want to pay for everything without support, you can represent Canada.

Same for many sports. If it wasn't for teams doing well and needing to go to Championships where would we get our car washed? Perhaps our fencing team needs to hold more car washes, if we want to have a National coach or funding to offset the cost of WC's.

Here's some food for thought... Royal Bank of Canada spent more on advertising their support for our athletes than they gave to the athletes. Here's the real kicker... they're allowed to write-off all the advertising in addition to the few pennies they threw at the athletes.

[sionnach]

Originally Posted by XanderHal

I don't think ranting about the COC is a great idea for her right now. Perhaps she can take up the cause later.

Yes, she can make good use of the vast amount of media attention fencers get outside of the olympics. It'll be front page stuff.