Alexey Avdokhin - about simple rules that lead to victories.
Four gold medals - saber fencer Yana Yegoryan, foil fencer Inna Deriglazova, male foil fencers and the women's saber team.
One silver - saber fencer Sophia Velikaya, who lost in the final just to Yegoryan.
Two bronzes - foil fencer Timur Safin and women's epee team.
Total: 7 out of 23 medals that Russia has so far won in Rio. And the team chance is still ahead - for the epee fighters.
Why is Russian fencing in this order?
Here's a step-by-step guide for the rest of Russian sports leaders.
1. Gather the best foreign coaches at the headquarters
Professionals with an impressive portfolio of top students, achievements and methodologies. Do not spare money for their salaries and at the same time do not burn money just for names and regalia.
Right now, the following are working on Russian fencing:
Christian Bauer- saber team manager. Before moving to Russia, the Frenchman worked in France, Italy and China, and everywhere his students acquired medals and titles.
Russian saber fencers under Bauer are used to winning again - a dozen gold medals at the World Championships and the first Olympic gold in 16 years.
Stefano Cerioni- Coach of the national foil team. For two Olympic cycles under him, the Italian national team dominated the foil - four golds in Beijing and London, nine more at the world championships.
Russian foil fencers are again considered in the world, and today's victory after a 20-year break is the best criterion for his work.
Angelo Mazzoni- coach of the men's national epee team. For several years he brought the average Swiss to the top - under him they began to destroy everyone in a row.
His team will go to the platform on the last day of the fencing tournament.
2. Trust the coaches who are invited
When Bauer's team returned from London four years ago with one silver and one bronze, he was almost hated in Russia. In contrast to the judo coach Ezio Gamba, the Frenchman seemed like a failure - two years of work in nowhere.
Letters flew against Bauer former coaches and interviews from anonymous interlocutors - if fencing were a little more popular, Andrei Malakhov would even make a program about it.
Bauer was already ready to stay in France - the contract ended after London. Everything was put in its place by a conversation with Alisher Usmanov - the Frenchman was offered a new contract for five years and carte blanche to prepare for the next Games.
3. Do not meddle in the direct work of coaches
Do not interfere is the main principle of a professional leader. In Russian fencing, as in any sport, there is enough intrigue, clashes of personal interests and nepotism. But it never occurs to any of the leaders to build this into the basis of the existence of the team.
Foreign specialists are also needed for this - to create equidistant conditions for each athlete. Naturally, none of the leaders has to interfere in their work - to choose the composition, appoint inviolable athletes and dictate the rules.
4. Do not oversleep the talented generation
Sophia Velikaya, Aleksey Yakimenko, Inna Deriglazova, Nikolai Kovalev, Aleksey Cheremisinov - a scattering of super talent appeared in Russia almost simultaneously.
They needed to create comfortable conditions, find skilled coaches and not get lost along the way. Happened. Now the next generation is on the way - Timur Safin, Yana Yegoryan, Kamil Ibragimov and others.
5. Do not seek salvation in naturalization
Immediately after the London collapse, Bauer hinted that in order to guarantee results, it was necessary to increase competition in the national team with saber fencers from other countries. They made it clear to the Frenchman - he was invited to teach his own people, so naturalization, even point-like, should not be expected.
6. Have influence in the international federation, but do not waste it on trifles
World fencing has been ruled by Russia for a long time.
Alisher Usmanov has been heading the International Fencing Federation for eight years. His authority is almost unlimited (for four years the elections were uncontested and almost unanimous), and without his money chamber fencing would have been suffocating at all.
Legendary saber fencer Stanislav Pozdnyakov runs the European Fencing Federation.
In the current political situation, it would seem that there is a very convenient reason for discontent - the Russians have seized power and are wreaking havoc.
But no - everything is smooth here, and it seems that the situation suits everyone more or less. Fencing turned into a spectacle, it became pleasant and understandable to watch, sponsors reached out, and it's even funny to talk about any indulgences to Russian athletes.
At the end of the year, the congress will elect a new leader international federation- most likely, the elections will be uncontested.
7. Spend money not only on the national team
Formally, Usmanov is no longer related to Russian Federation fencing, but continues to help her with money.
A system of grants for young coaches, seminars for regional specialists, training trips to major tournaments - this is the case when there is an understanding that there is something else besides the national team.
8. Don't be afraid of tough decisions
A couple of telling examples from the life of Russian fencing.
Tatyana Logunova's scandalous confession about how she was offered money to leave the team stirred up the fencing silence. The leadership of the national team did not stay in shock for long - they seriously talked with the 36-year-old epee player, and everyone else was simply forbidden to communicate with the press until the end of the Olympics.
The world champion Veniamin Reshetnikov was tolerated for a long time in the team, even when he demonstratively turned on the "anti-Bauer" mode, stopped working according to the Frenchman's rules and opposed himself to everyone else - while he was giving results.
As soon as he stopped, Reshetnikov was kicked out of the national team with the wording "I was blown away both as an athlete and as a person" - Bauer could not stand it, Main coach Mamedov supported the whole team.
9. Be able to lead discreetly
Most likely, you have never heard of the President of the Russian Fencing Federation Alexander Mikhailov. When it comes to a sports functionary, minimal publicity is more likely a plus.
If the head of the federation does not talk nonsense, does not argue with coaches and does not offend athletes, he is not hopeless.
10. Build a working vertical of management
And when the governing structure is streamlined, all areas of responsibility in the organization are clear, you can even put things in order.
The first vice-president of the federation Stanislav Pozdnyakov is in charge of the current work of the federation, the head coach of the national team Ilgar Mammadov oversees coaches and athletes, and the coaches are directly responsible for the teams by type of weapon.
It is strange that in such an extensive structure of the national team it is possible to do without duplication of function and fights for the right of the last word.
Fencing - olympic sport, in which the rivals fight with the help of a special sporting melee weapon, which is completely safe. Regular fencing is not at all safe, because it is a combat discipline that has been actively used in the past during hostilities. But as has happened with many martial arts, this discipline today has also become exclusively athletic in nature.
Participants in fencing games
212 men and women will come to the Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, there will be 106 people each. According to the results of the competition, 10 sets of medals will be awarded, 5 for women and 5 for men. One country can exhibit no more than 16 fencers, moreover, no more than 8 of them are women and men.
The International Fencing Federation uses the principle of rotation of disciplines for a competition such as the Olympics. The 2016 Summer Olympics will not offer the same fencing disciplines as the London Games 4 years ago. Then the command saber was for men, and the command rapier for women. In Rio, men will have a command sword and women will have a command saber.
Disciplines common to men and women:
- Sword;
- Team sword;
- Rapier;
- Saber.
Summer Olympics participants must prove themselves in order to qualify for the Olympics. For this, the Olympic qualification of the competition is provided; it is different for each continent. All competitions are regarded as a qualifying tournament. The selection is also influenced by the world ranking of athletes.
Fencing competition calendar
Competitions for those who practice fencing will take place from 6 to 14 August. The finals of competitions in a specific discipline will be held daily. Schedule:
- August 6: individual epee championship, women;
- August 7: Men's individual foil championship;
- August 8: Women's individual saber championship;
- August 9: individual epee championship, men;
- August 10: Women's individual foil championship, men's individual saber championship;
- 11th August: team championship women in the sword;
- 12 August: Men's Foil Team Championship;
- 13 August: women's team saber championship;
- August 14: men's team championship in epee.
In each discipline, in order to win, you need to inflict a certain number of blows or thrusts on the opponent first. The competition is given a certain period of time, after which the fight is terminated.
Athletes compete in protective clothing: they have jackets made of metallized fabric and masks with rigid mesh. A glove must be worn on the hand that does not hold the weapon. The weapon is connected to the electrical panel. If a swordsman strikes an opponent, then this is fixed on the shield, a light comes on. If the strike was not powerful enough, for example, when the athlete just slid over the opponent, the thrust is not recorded by the electrical system.
The rapier and epee presupposes stabbing, but with a saber it is already possible to deliver a chopping blow. Each type of weapon has a guard that protects the working hand from damage. For disciplines, the parts of the body allowed for strikes differ.
A fencing track is used for the duel. Its length is 14 meters.
The swordsman's goal is to stab the enemy and avoid the stab himself. Victory is awarded to the one who is the first to deliver a certain number of injections to the opponent in accordance with the rules, or to deliver more such injections in a specified period of time.
Fencers wear white uniforms because until electronic scoring equipment was invented, pricks were imprinted on the white surface by an ink-soaked piece of cotton taped to the tip of the weapon.
OLYMPIC GAMES
Fencing has been included in the program of the Olympic Games since 1896 - personal competitions for men on foils and sabers, from 1900 on swords (in 1904 and on sticks); in 1896 and 1900 professionals (the so-called maestro) took part in the competition. Since 1912, the team championship has been played in swords and sabers, since 1920 - in foils. Since 1924, a personal championship has been held, since 1960 - a team championship among women on foil, since 1996 - a personal and team championship in epee, in 2004 a personal championship was held, and in 2008 - a team championship in saber fencing among women.
The record holder for the number of conquered Olympic medals is the Italian swordsman Edoardo Manjarotti, who from 1936 to 1960. won on Olympic Games 13 medals: 6 gold, 5 silver and 2 bronze. Another great swordsman, Aladar Gerevich from Hungary, won three medals less, but he has more gold medals - 7. For women, two Italians lead the list of champions - Valentina Vezzali, a 5-time Olympic champion, and Giovanna Trillini, who won 4 Olympic gold medals. ...
RUSSIA
In the Soviet Union and Russia, there are many wonderful blademakers, there are many double and triple Olympic champions... But only four fencers hold the title of 4-time Olympic champions. These are foil fencer Elena Belova and saber fencers Viktor Sidyak, Viktor Krovopuskov and Stanislav Pozdnyakov.
Photo - Sergey Kivrin and Andrey Golovanov
The goal of the swordsman is to strike (strike) the enemy and avoid the thrust (strike) himself. Victory is awarded to the one who is the first to deliver a certain number of punches (strokes) to the opponent in accordance with the rules or to deliver more such injections within a specified period of time. Modern fencing consists of three disciplines: foil, epee, saber. The length of the sports saber is 110 cm, its weight is 500 g, the hand of the foil fencer is protected by a round guard with a diameter of 12 cm. The length of the sports saber is 105 cm, its weight is 500 g, it is also equipped with a guard, but differs from the foil by a blade of trapezoidal variable section. The saber is the only kind in sports fencing in which, in addition to thrusting, chopping blows can be delivered. The length of the sports epee is 110 cm, its weight is 770 g, the epee has a flexible triangular blade and a round guard with a diameter of 13.5 cm. Foil players are allowed injections only in the torso, for epee fencers - in all parts of the body, except for the nape not protected by a mask, for saber fencers - injections ( blows) to all parts of the body above the waist. Fights are held on a fencing track 14 m long and 1.8 - 2 m wide.
Athletes perform in protective jackets covered with a metallized fabric and masks with a metal mesh and in a glove on an armed hand. Thrusts and blows made by fencers are registered with lamps on an electric apparatus. They are fixed on the basis of an electrical circuit passing through the fencer's weapon and his clothing, connected to the apparatus by a wired system.
Russian fans were looking forward to the start of today's fencing competition with special impatience, because it was on August 13 that a magnificent women's saber fencer team entered the track. A few days ago, the Russians made a splash by adding. Yana Yegoryan became Olympic champion, Sophia the Great- vice-champion, and Ekaterina Dyachenko lost only to the future winner. We expect only victory from such a powerful trinity in team competitions, especially since there is only one step left before the final - the Russians simply did not notice the Mexican team on the way to the semifinals.
And on the eve of a bright battle, we figure out why saber fencing is the most dynamic sport, how the epee differs from the foil, from where on the path there are not only red and green, but also white lamps, and also what the judge mutters in between fights.
Traditions carried over to the Olympics
Before understanding the differences in fencing disciplines, it is worth remembering that fencing is a purely applied sport that had practical significance not only in the 19th, but even in the 20th century. In the Soviet Union, for example, until the 1960s, there was such a sport as fencing with carbines - part of the preparation of a fighter for hand-to-hand combat with weapons in hand. So to talk about Europe at the end of the century before last, where duels were in progress, and many problems, legal or not, could be solved with the good old saber. The traditions of the military, and not only fencing, of course, passed on to the Olympic Games. Fencers have fought for medals since the very first revived 1896 Olympics. And already in 1900, three main disciplines appeared at the Games: fencing with epee, foil and saber.
Stab with a rapier, chop with a saber
On the TV screen, it seems to many that the types of weapons are no different, but this is a delusion. The rapier has a flexible quadrangular blade and weighs up to 500 grams. Strikes, that is, pricks, can only be inflicted with the edge of the blade. The epee is very similar to the rapier, but somewhat heavier (up to 750 grams), has a stiffer trihedral blade and a guard with a larger diameter to protect the athlete's hand from being pricked by the opponent. But a saber differs greatly from a rapier and a sword: it can be used not only for stabbing, but also for more effective chopping blows. Therefore, the guard has an oval shape and an additional brace that protects the fingers, and saber fights become more speedy and effective.
Epee players almost like a duel
The second major difference in the types of fencing is the affected area, in which hits and hits are counted. According to tradition, it is believed that the saber is a weapon of riders who strike the upper torso of an opponent. This principle was transferred to sports fencing: everything that is above the opponent's waist (except for the hands) is the target for the saber fencer's punches and thrusting. The modern rapier is a descendant of the training weapon of the past centuries, therefore the “training” zone is the athlete's jacket that covers the torso. Injections to the legs, arms and head do not count. And in epee fencing, everything is simple and as close as possible to a duel: a shot to any part of the body except for the back of the head is counted - the latter for the safety of athletes.
In the Soviet Union, for example, until the 1960s, there was such a sport as fencing with carbines - part of the preparation of a fighter for hand-to-hand combat with weapons in hand.
Fight off first, then attack
Finally, the third fundamental difference concerns the so-called right of attack, which applies to foil and saber fencers. It consists in the fact that the swordsman, defending himself from the opponent's attack, is obliged to reflect it and only then deliver his blow. In other words, you cannot just attack towards the opponent - such a thrust or blow will not be counted. You can attack either by seizing the initiative at the beginning of the phrase, or by repelling someone else's attack. All controversial episodes are examined by the chief judge. Simultaneous injections are impossible: either one athlete or no one gets a point. The epee in this respect again looks simpler: there is no right of attack in it. And fencers can deliver simultaneous thrusting. In this case, the automatics fixes the second injection if it occurs no later than 0.25 seconds later.
Red versus green
To make it easier and more convenient for spectators to follow the fencing fights, punches and blows are accompanied by appropriate sound and color signals. An injection given by one athlete is accompanied by the lighting of a red lamp, and his opponent - a green one. There is also a white lamp that signals that the injection has been delivered, but did not hit the target area - this lamp only works during foil competition. For the automatics to work, the thrust with a rapier or sword must not be too weak - the pressure must be equal at least to the weight of the weapon. The signals from the lamps and the automatics are not decisive. In controversial episodes or in those cases when the fencer asks for a replay, the decision remains with the chief arbiter.
Parlez-vous français?
Since traditions play a strong role in fencing, international competitions the referee still speaks to athletes and makes his decisions in French - as it was at the 1896 Olympic Games. “En guarde. Êtes-vous prêt? " - this is how the chief judge calls the athletes to arms and asks if they are ready for the fight. "Allez!" - a signal to start the fight, giving athletes the right to start oncoming traffic.
An injection given by one athlete is accompanied by the lighting of a red lamp, and his opponent - a green one. There is also a white lamp that signals that a blow or thrust was delivered, but did not hit the target area.
"Halte!" - stopping the fight, jabs and blows after it are not counted. "A droit" - the thrust is awarded to the fencer located to the right of the head judge. "A gauche" - on the left. "Pas compter" - a thrust is not awarded to any of the participants in the fight.
The red card is not the worst thing
However, the score can change not only after injections or blows, but also after violations of the rules. For example, a free kick is awarded to someone who stepped over the front edge of the track or defended in an unacceptable way, not allowing an opponent to strike. Stepping outside the side of the track is punishable by a "penalty of one meter": the fight is resumed with an offset of one meter towards the offending athlete. Running attacks, body contact, pushing by the opponent, active actions with the free hand and other violations are punishable by a yellow card. For repetition of such actions, the referee may show a red card and assign a penalty shot. For gross violations of the rules or unsportsmanlike behavior, a black card is shown, which means disqualification.
