First international federation to have positioned itself for a return of Russians and Belarusians to international competitions a year and a half before the 2024 Olympic Games, fencing finds itself shaken by strong tensions, while waiting for the International Olympic Committee to be more precise. . At the beginning of March, a congress of the International Federation (FIE) authorized the participation of Russian and Belarusian fencers in the world circuit events, qualifying for the 2024 Olympics (July 26-August 11).
If the FIE had taken care to specify that this decision would be effective from April 2023 “subject to possible recommendations / future decisions of the IOC”, the reactions and turbulence around the competitions supposed to host them have multiplied. Excluded, on the recommendation of this same IOC, since February 2022 and the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, Russian and Belarusian athletes could reintegrate the world ranking, on which the qualifications for the Paris Olympic meeting depend, the year next.
Poznan scrutinized
But a week after the FIE’s vote, the German Fencing Federation has given up the organization of the women’s foil World Cup stage scheduled for early May in Tauberbischofsheim and scheduled in the qualification course. Another Women’s Foil World Cup event is particularly scrutinized, the one scheduled for Poznan (Poland), on April 21 and 22. It should be the first to welcome Russian and Belarusian shooters, in a country bordering Ukraine and … Belarus, where Vladimir Putin has just announced that he wishes to deploy “tactical” nuclear weapons.
“The PZSZ (Polish Fencing Federation, editor’s note) is not aware of any decision that would deprive it of the organization of the tournament”, even if it is “aware” of running such a risk, explained to AFP Adam Konopka, vice-president of the body. The Poles would then demand compensation, he added.
Their “current position is not to let Russians and Belarusians participate in this tournament”. But, taking into account the decisions of the international federation, “the PZSZ asked the FIE for details on the criteria and the modalities of the application of these criteria” of this selection to know “which among the Russian and Belarusian athletes would be authorized whether or not to compete in Poznan”, without obtaining an answer from the International Federation.
Security
Athletes from Russia and Belarus are raising fears for their own safety at the events, but Warsaw seems not to be reassured either, indicating that many of these athletes are also military. In France too, uncertainty is high, while the Challenge Monal, on the calendar of the men’s epee World Cup, is to be held in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, not far from Paris, from May 19 to 21. . A decision should be taken by the French Fencing Federation once the IOC’s position has been clarified this week, during an expected executive committee.
In addition to these doubts arising in the countries organizing the competitions, the FIE must face the opposition of certain shooters, who expressed their disagreement with the decision taken on March 10. In a video posted on social networks, several big names in fencing took a direct stand by responding “No, I don’t agree”, in response to the decision taken by the FIE in early March. Among them, the American foil fencer Gerek Meinhardt, twice Olympic bronze medalist (2016, 2021), the French saber fencer Manon Brunet-Apithy, Olympic vice-champion in 2021 or the American foil fencer Lee Kiefer, crowned at the Tokyo Games.
We also see the Ukrainian Olympic champion Olga Kharlan, who at the same time summed up her feelings in three words on social networks: “Disappointment, anger, injustice”. “What has changed?” asks the 2008 Olympic saber champion, just over a year after the IOC’s recommendation to exclude these athletes, and while the Ukrainian Federation announced that it would boycott any competition in which Russian and Belarusian athletes are engaged.