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The first WF event of the 2012 season is in Tauber this weekend with individual and team competitions for the London qualification.
The FFE is first at bat with this interview with Franck Boidin, France WF National Coach.
Franck Boidin, "The girls are ready to fight!"
Franck Boidin with Virginie Ujlaky and Gaëlle Gebet looks at each touch given or taken by his women foilists with great intensity and passion. He is a leader in spirit and deeds Photo - Icon Sport
February 6, 2012
Women's foil will have their first world cup (individual and team) this weekend in Tauberbischofsheim. Morale before leaving for Germany with Franck Boidin, WF France national coach.
DG: You are just back from a week training camp in Bath, England. How was it?
FB: "Excellent, the university in Bath gave us access to all its infrastructures (fencing salle, swimming pool, weights room, etc.). The exchange with the England team was interesting and friendly."
DG: What was the theme and the purpose of this training camp? Did you also have some time to discover the architectural beauties of this town?
FB: "It was a classic program: 6 bouting sessions, one being a team bout, individual lessons, a physical conditioning session and a general meeting. The objective was to have different sparring partners, have some exchanges and also to do the last fine tuning before going to Tauber. Wednesday afternoon was free and the girls took advaantage to go walking around (shopping and visiting the town which is really beautiful)."
DG: Few days before the first selection world cup in Tauber, how are the girls? Physically? Technique? Mentally?
FB: "Physically no big problems, just few 'boo boos' to watch but nothing serious. As far as technique the training camp let us refine few things and work on the fundamentals. Mentally, the girls are well aware of the stakes and of the challege ahead. They are ready to fight!"
DG: The published road-map[*] for Tauber does not indentify the 4 girls who will fence team. Are you going to make the selection after the individual competition?
FB: The composition of the team will be announced the evening of the individual competition. We want everybody to be well motivated until the end each training session until Tauber is important."
DG: On the same road-map we notice some young fencers like Thibus, Blaze, Luminet or Ranvier. What is your goal for this Olympic year?
FB: "The goal is first to qualify the team. These competitions to 12 fencers allow us to also bring along some young fencers, to throw them in the 'deep end of the pool' as do other nations. But it should be noted that these girls have all earned their spot thanks to their results in our national competitions. There is no favoritism!"
DG: Do you think that the raw talent of these young girls put next to the experience of the more senior fencers (Maîtrejean, Guyart) can bring to F those results which we all are waiting for?
FB: "One can only hope and each one of them must take and learn something from another."
DG: You are not shy to try new things in organizing international training camps. Beside the British and Japanese teams wouldn't you like to invite the Italian team which is by far the strongest?
FB: "Of course we would like! Our training camps with the Japanese and the British are already very beneficial. A training camp with the best fencers in the world could only be good for us. I have had some contacts with the Italian CT Stefano Cerioni. He's not opposed but we have to solve some logistical problems but in the end it should be possible."
DG: The Italian dominate world foil. What could you bring to the table so that our women foilist can beat them more often?
FB: "We worked on the videos, on some tactical schemes to put in action. Some, like Astrid, Corinne, Virginie, and Gaëlle have already won against girls like Vezzali, Errigo, Salvatori, but we must recognize that in the big events the Italians are above for now!"
DG: Other than Tauber, you have two other world cup competitions to qualify for the London games. Are they enough or would you have liked to have few more competitions?
FB: "More competitons I don't know, but more points that's for sure! The most importnat thing is to still be in the race. Admittedly we are a little behind, but it is still doable. We used all our 'jokers.' It's up to us to show that this team is competitive and deserves better than its current ranking!"
DG: Franck Boidin, will the WF team qualify for the London Games?...
FB: "I can only tell you that the group is leaving no stone unturned for this qualification..."
Interview by Denis Goran
Titles by France WF
▪ 1 Olympic title individual (Pascale Trinquet, Moscou 1980)
▪ 1 Olympic title team (Moscou 1980)
▪ 1 World Championship individual (Marie-Chantal Demaille, Vienne 1971)
▪ 2 World Championships team (Monte-Carlo 1950, Stockholm 1951)
Upcoming WF Olympic selection competitions
▪ 11-12 Feb: Coupe du monde individuelle et par équipes de Tauberbischofsheim (GER)
▪ 25-26 Feb: Coupe du monde individuelle (GP) de Gdansk (POL)
▪ 10-11 Mar: Coupe du monde individuelle et par équipes de Turin (ITA)
▪ 24-25 Mar: Coupe du monde individuelle et par équipes de Budapest (HUN).
[*] Road-map, in French feuille de route, is a document published on the FFE web site a week to 10 days before any international competition (cadet, junior, senior) indicating the names of the cadre, coaches, and referees accompanying the athletes, the names of the elite athletes who are totally funded, the names of the athletes authorized to compete at their own expense, the names of reserve athletes authorized to compete if any of the above can't. It also indicates the gathering point in France from where the entire squad travels, all together, to the foreign destination.
Click here for the road-map for Tauber. The first 6 athletes are fully funded, the next 6 athletes are authorized to compete at their expense with designated airfare, hotel, etc.
Originally Posted by gladius 
