Future Bright For Fencing

 

by James Skitt - 26.08.09

One of just four sports to have featured at every modern Games, British Fencing hope they can achieve their first Olympic medal since 1964 when the ExCel centre hosts the sport at London 2012, and the signs look good following improvements to the sports programme and results this season.

Last month, supported by English Institute of Sport (EIS) Physiotherapist Joe Collins in Bulgaria, British Fencers Richard Kruse and Laurence Halstead claimed silver and bronze in the men’s individual foil at the European Championships, an event which featured 70 entries from across Europe.

Launched in January 2007 with the specific aim of delivering a medal in 2012, the World Class Pathway Programme assembled an elite team of British Fencers who receive an Athlete Personal Award enabling them to train on a full time basis in London and overseas.

Collins, who works predominantly with the men’s Elite foil squad at Lee Valley HiPAC in his role as Lead Physiotherapist for the GB Fencing Team, told eis2win.co.uk:
“There is a real buzz around the team at the moment and certainly the funding the athletes have received has enabled them to compete at the very highest level.”

“There is real competition for places now and the results in Bulgaria underline the development and strength of the team. The silver and bronze medals from Richard and Laurence were a fantastic achievement and the team can look forward to the World Championships in September with real excitement and expectation.”

Collins is one of a number of EIS practitioners working with the sport, which also include Dr Mike Loosemore (Sports Medicine), Sarah Cecil (Psychologist) and Strength and Conditioning support.

EIS Regional Director for the South Richard Parker said: “The EIS practitioners involved with Fencing have developed a strong relationship with the sport and work closely with the coaches on a weekly basis to maintain this.”

“It is key that our practitioners are immersed in the sport as much as possible to develop these relationships as we all have the same shared goals and are working together towards achieving them.”

As well as the European Championships, Collins, who spends over half his time with Fencing whilst also treating athletes from a range of other sports, has travelled with the squad to international Grand Prix events in China, Japan, Russia and France this year alone, whilst also developing an injury risk minimisation strategy.

“Through increasing our knowledge of the injury epidemiology, and understanding it in the context of the athletic requirements and technical components that may stress the musculoskeletal system, we have been working on this strategy to reduce the time lost from training and competition” he explains.

“There is a dearth of research specific to Fencing so we have had to work closely with the athletes and coaches to understand the unique demands of the sport.”

“I have spent a lot of time analysing the minute details as it’s all about being innovative but ensuring there is a performance impact behind everything I do” he added.

The British teams’ performances this season certainly seem to be doing just that with Gold and Silver medals won at World Cup and Grand Prix events as well a silver medal in the Junior World Championships to add to their European success. Meanwhile Laurence Halstead followed up his European success by claiming his first senior national title, winning the British Championships at the EIS Sheffield in July, and Collins certainly feels they can achieve their target of an Olympic medal in three years time.

“Other nations are really having to take notice of us and are extremely interested in what we are doing” he says.

“On a personal level it has been great working with such a receptive and forward thinking sport. The future looks really bright for medals at 2012 which is what we’re all working hard to achieve.”

Photography © Getty Images