Women’s Sabre A-Grade England Trophy to begin February 25 – Fencing Update
Women’s Sabre England Trophy is going to begin on February 25 at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, London. Here the World’s top fencers will be found congregated together under a single platform to compete for the winning title. Only the A-Grade sabre
fencers (according to FIE) are entitled to participate in this event.
A total of 143 fencers from 26 big nations have ensured their participation in the event. These participants include the Top 30 from among World top 32 ranked fencers, including the World Number one Mariel Zagunis and British Number one, Chrystall Nicoll.
The preliminary rounds of individual event will begin February 25. Among the entire World ranked fencers, only the top 16 received an automatic bye to the knock out round of 64 that is to be held on Saturday, February 26. Whereas the sabre team events shall
begin on Sunday, February 27. Only 14 nations have sent in their entries to participate in the team event until the closing.
Keeping in view such strong contenders to face-off a combat amongst each other, it is expected to give a high standard competition to the international event. On the International Calendar, the England Trophy is counted among the only eight World ranking
international events.
Here, all these world class fencers will gather for a run-up to start the 2012 London Olympic Qualifying period. After this event, the next destination for these fencers is at Sheffield, where the Senior European Championships are to be held in July, this
year.
The British top fencers like Chrystall Nicoll, Jo Hutchison, Louise Bond-Williams and Katherine Kempe are already getting prepared for the event with great enthusiasm and hard work. Nicoll, who is currently finalising her preparations for the trophy said,
“I put in a solid performance at the first international event of the season and my world ranking improved by a couple of places. The England Trophy is a great opportunity to compete on home soil ahead of the Euros in Sheffield in July and I'm targeting a
top 8 finish.”
About 20 British individuals as well as team are representing the Great Britain. These British fencers are in good hope to see a huge home crowd at the vicinity of the event. The most promising and motivational thing for these fencers is that they are getting
to play on home soil. Moreover, this competition would be a great treat for the home audience to watch some of the best fencers fighting to qualify for the upcoming Olympics 2012.
This event is of great importance for each participating nation to win up their chance for the London Olympics because each bout-win will award the female fencers with points that would lead them up towards the final seeds for qualification.
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