Spotlight Sport

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Gateway to the Summer Games - Spotlight Sport

Fencing
The art of swordsmanship has been practiced since Biblical times and has evolved through the ages from deadly combat to an Olympic sport. Trigger-fast reflexes and a quick mind are needed to be able to strike a competitor without being struck.

Three swords are used in fencing competitions: the "foil," the "epee" (pronounced epp-ay), and the "sabre." Individual and team competitions are held for each.


		Scoring \| Competition \| News, History, Fast Facts All About Athletes \| More Sports

Scoring
In a fencing bout, the objective is to touch your opponent with your sword. Fencers battle on a "strip" which is a mat 45.9 feet long and 6.5 feet wide. At opposite ends of the strip are two light towers. When one fencer strikes another, the point of the weapon is depressed. This sends a signal to the light tower that triggers the light to flash, indicating a touch. A flashing red or green light means that a point has landed in a valid target area on the fencer nearest to the flashing tower. The official, known as the "director," must confirm the touch before it counts.

Each touch is worth one point, and the fencer who reaches 15 points first wins the bout. For a team bout, the goal is to be the first team to score 45 points.

The winner in the men's bout is the first competitor to score five hits, while women win with four. A fencer must win two out of three five-touch bouts to win a match.

Competition
To start the match both opponents take the "en garde" (on guard) position, in which the rear arm is crooked upward, and the sword arm is partially extended toward the opponent. The basic attacking action is the "lunge," executed by thrusting the sword arm at the target and kicking forward on the front leg. A movement of the blade designed to block an attack is called a "parry."

News, History, and Fast Facts

NBCOlympics.com not only teaches you about the differences between the sabre, epee, and foil, but also gives you an insider's view of how judges score a bout.
Point your mouse to the USOC fencing page for a summary of fencing history, a rulebook, an equipment guide, and a simple glossary.
You don't have to be face-to-face with a foil to get an action-packed view of the sport. Check out a USOC mini-movie.
Sydney 2000 is jam-packed with information about the rules and terminology of the sport, as well as facts about fencing's past.
The Sydney 2000 Kids page is a short and trouble-free place to teach kids the basics about fencing.
For more localized coverage go to U.S. Fencing.

All About Athletes

Fencing.net takes a look at some of the American medal hopefuls among the men's and women's teams.
Investigate all of the fine fencers who have won gold medals.

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General Sports Links
Olympians will compete in dozens of sports this summer. Even though Gateway to the Summer Games can't feature them all, you can learn about each and every one by visiting the sites listed below.

Griffin Publishing Group's Official Olympic Sports page
For information straight from the source, click on a sport to connect to its organization's official Web site.
Australian Broadcasting Corporation News
This site provides excellent information about Olympic sports and their rules. It also sizes up the best international competitors.
CBS Sportsline's Olympics 2000
Get top news stories and in-depth features about every sport.
CCN/SI
In addition to news on every sport, this site contains athlete diaries.
NBCOlympics.com
Select a sport to study or hear firsthand from an athlete who plays it.
Sydney 2000
The official site of the Sydney Olympics covers the events in detail.
Sydney 2000 Kids' Guide to Olympic Sports
Visit the Sportzone for sports-related information written especially for young students.
USOC
The United States Olympic Committee site includes the rules and history of events as well as athlete bios, diaries, and chats.
Sydney 2000 Fans
This unofficial site provides basic description of events and useful links to more information.

Portions of the above text were excerpted from Share the Olympic Dream--Volume II.
(c) 1995 by Griffin Publishing Group/United States Olympic Committee.

For information on purchasing Griffin materials, please visit the Griffin Publishing Group Web site at http://www.griffinpublishing.com.