it stings for tricolor armchair fencing – Libération

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This Thursday, September 5, is the third day of the wheelchair fencing events. Time for team foil. We’re crossing our fingers but despite a good start – a victory for the women in the round of 16 against Brazil – we don’t really believe in the French chances given the competition, particularly from China. We are banking more on the sword, Friday, to get tricolor armchair fencing out of the gray zone, this thankless in-between performance and counter-performance, in which our seven representatives seem stuck since the start of hostilities on Tuesday.

Panache

On the first day, that of the sabre, the Grand Palais was as hot as during the Olympic Games. He immediately fell in love with each national swashbuckler, notably for Brianna Vidé. The 24-year-old from Toulouse fanned the flame by twirling her blade, in line with what she said just before the Paralympic Games during meetings with the press: “Ah no, I’m not afraid at all the big atmosphere at the Grand Palais. It’s even a certainty that she will push me.”

The podiatrist born with a club foot made the podium, reaching the small final. But it failed to materialize. Brianna Vidé, who exudes panache, has long been on par with the Georgian Nino Tibilashvili. Even making a comeback, while leading 11-6, which made the stands exult, to the point that the noble building seemed to be crossed by a metro train. Borderline creepy. But Hajmási won 15-11. Post-match, Vidé regretted not having “had the audacity to play the game, security didn’t pay off, it’s part of the experience.” And the fencer was positive: “I keep smiling, these are my first Games, I have no right to lament.”

This micro approach holds up. The problem is that on a macro level, for the entire French team, Tuesday was a waste of time. In addition to Brianna Vidé, Maxime Valet, Clémence Delavoipière and Cécile Demaude all crossed swords in vain. And in the end, as expected, Asia wins. If in the men’s category A, the German Maurice Schmidt beat the Briton Piers Gilliver 15-8, the Chinese Gu Haiyan won in the women’s category against the Polish Kinga Drózdz 15-10. And, in category B, the Thai Saysunee Jana beat the Chinese world champion Xiao Rong by one point, but the latter’s compatriot, Feng Yanke also beat the Pole Michal Dabrowski to the post.

“I had my Games stolen”

Was it a warm-up lap? After all, the massive support from fans is also pressure in that it comes with the expectation of a medal. It should be better the next day. But Wednesday also turned briny. Or even worse, with similar scenarios. Two Chinese gold medals, a Thai, a British, and Brianna Vidé, this time stopped by one point even before the small final, by the Hong Konger Yu Chui Yee Alison, even though the Frenchwoman and the entire Grand Palais thought that she had won.

The same feeling of incomprehension spread to the stands during Maxime Valet’s defeat against the Ukrainian Oleg Naumenko, in the repechage for the bronze medal. Immediately, in the mixed zone, the Toulouse resident, who was also a sports doctor, established a definitive diagnosis: “This match is a real scandal, I can’t play. I had my Games stolen in this match. It’s anger, injustice that I feel.” Valet, 37, is one of the capped members of the French team and could legitimately aim for the podium, especially in foil where he is world number two, European vice-champion and bronze medalist in 2016 in Rio.

Sébastien Barrois, coach and performance manager of the French team, emphasized to Released, before the competition: “We have emotional ones and emotional ones…” while, “as in all opposition sports, it will be the mind that will make the difference, the ability to surpass oneself and hurt oneself.” But the one who previously supervised the French valid fencing team also pointed out the lead taken by the «grosses machines», China and Eastern countries, in professionalization. We can also point out the fact that practically all French Paralympians shoot all weapons (saber, foil, epee), unlike their competitors, which leads to an exhausting marathon. Knowing that major delays made it even heavier on Tuesday. In short, a combo that stings. So there remains the sword, Friday, to hit the mark at these Paralympic Games.