Posts Tagged ‘IOC’
IOC Votes Against Adding Medals to Fencing
August 15, 2009
Bad news for fencing.
The IOC voted against adding the 2 additional medals needed for fencing to have its full complement of events. It was hoped that new FIE president Usmanov of Russia would have enough money and influence to sway the decision in favor of adding them, but that has not come to pass.
Since 2004, two teams have had to sit out since only 10 medals were available for the 12 possible fencing events.
Women’s saber was first added to the Olympics in 2004, but without the addition of the medals necessary to have it included. So in 2004, women’s foil and women’s saber team events were not contested. In 2008, women’s epee and men’s foil team were not included in the Olympic program.
Who will be left out in London 2012? The fate of many athletes careers and funding of programs hangs in the balance. The likely candidates for the men will be men’s Saber or Epee. For the women, it could be women’s epee or women’s saber who won’t be fielding teams.
We should feel fortunate that we continue to be apart of the Olympics. Sadly women’s softball and men’s baseball will be kept out of the 2016 Games with their only chance of being added again coming in 2020.
A decision will likely come next year from the FIE about what events will be left out…
