Challenge Bernadotte 2011: Men’s Epee Grand Prix begins at Stockholm – Fencing Preview
The 2011 edition of Challenge Bernadotte is scheduled to commence from May 14-15 at The Eriksdalshallen Sports Hall in Stockholm, Sweden.
This event is recognised by the International Fencing Federation (FIE) as a Grand Prix since May, 1998, when it took place for the first time under the Swedish Fencing Federation in collaboration with the regional fencing club named, Djurgården Fäktning.
The challenge includes both the individual and team competition in the Men’s Epee discipline. In the individual event, a total of 191 fencers have registered their entries for the competition yesterday, May 13. A total of 43 nations will be represented by
the participant fencers in the Swedish Capital event.
In last year’s edition, the individual event included 190 fencers, whereas, a total of 27 nations had taken part with their teams in the team competition.
Equipment control check and referee meeting took place yesterday, along with the announcement of the competition and pools schedule. The schedule that was finalised is as follows:
Saturday, May 14
Preliminary Rounds
Sunday, May 15
Direct Elimination, Table of 64
Direct Elimination, Table of 32
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals and Final
A total of 25 pools have been created, each comprising of seven male fencers. The rest of the 16 fencers carry an automatic bye into the Direct Elimination Top-64 tableau.
In last year’s individual competition of Challenge Bernadotte, Korean fencer, Jung Sung Hwa took the top podium place after defeating one of the finest fencers in the world. Jung defeated Joerg Fiedler from Germany and clinched the Grand Prix gold medal,
in scintillating fashion.
The third spot was mutually shared between Hungarian, Imre Geza and Ukrainian, Nikishin Bogdan.
For Sweden, Carl Frisell from the Djurgården Fencing Club secured seventh place among the 190 Epeeists.
In Team competitions of the 2010 Stockholm Grand Prix, a cut-throat battle took place between Italy and Poland in the final round. The match was tied at time-out by 41-41, leading to an inevitable sudden death round to decide the winner.
Finally, Italy got lucky to take up the win-point over the Polish team and sealed the top podium place, leaving Poland at second with a silver medal. On the other hand, Hungary won the play-off round and secured themselves a third place finish.
This event was named after President of the Djurgården fencing club in Stockholm, Oscar Bernadotte. It first originated as a qualifying competition in 1977, for the Swedish national fencing team and was organised by the Djurgården fencing club.
In 1997, the club along with the Swedish Fencing Federation applied for the event to be recognised as a World Cup for the Men’s Epee discipline. Conclusively, in July 1997, the FIE Congress approved their request and the Challenge was inaugurated, in May
1998.
Since the 1951 World Fencing Championship that was held in Stockholm, this event was the first ever World Cup tournament for the city. The world’s finest fencers have taken part in the event this year and a good challenge is expected in the tournament.
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