January 1997 |
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Foil - White Lights You connect your self up and the white light comes on. Why? Is it the foil, the body wire (yellow card for either of these), the ground cable, the spool or the box? How much time is wasted at competitions and in clubs aimlessly swapping foils, body wires and changing ends until everything works? If an off target light starts flashing when a fencer is connected to the box, the fault can occur anywhere from the point of the foil to the box. Rather than start changing everything, work methodically back to the box. Unplug the foil and check the bodywire. If you look at the part that plugs into the foil, you will see that the screw at the end is insulated from the rest of it. Connect these two parts of the plug, using the coquille of the foil or the guard, to make a circuit. If the off target light goes out, the foil is faulty. If the light stays on, go to the other end of the bodywire where it plugs into the spool wire, ease it out slightly and connect the two pins that are wider apart, using the blade of a foil to make a circuit. If the light goes out, then the bodywire is faulty. If the light remains on, disconnect the ground lead from the spool and again connect the two wider-apart pins. If the light goes out, change the spool. Finally if the off target light still remains on, the fault almost certainly lies in the ground lead. |
One of the biggest problems for Irish fencers is buying equipment. With no Irish retailers interested in stocking equipment for such a minority sport, we continue to rely on trips to England, France or beyond. With an ever increasing number of fencing shops opening in England, prices there are becoming more competitive. Here is a list of some of them. If you have any comments or experience about the value or quality offered by these or any other suppliers, please share them, by writing in to Irish Fencing News. Leon Paul Equipment Co. Ltd, Units 1 & 2 Cedar Way, Camley St., London NW1 0QJ. PH: 0044 171 388 8132. Leon Paul stockists. Since Leon Paul moved to their new premises a few years ago their attitude to customers seems to have become more friendly. Duellist Enterprises Ltd., The Colonnades, 82 Bishops Bridge Road, London W2 6BB. 0044 1836 710 541. Duellist is owned by one of England’s most famous fencers, Bruce Dickinson lead singer of Iron Maiden. Noted for good value, with much stock from Eastern Europe, also stock Allstar. Merlin Enterprises 3W Fencing Equipment, 24 Princes Lane, York YO2 1AL 0044 1904 611 537. Uhlmann, Allstar, Adidas. Claim to be the cheaper for these brands than any other UK stockist. Sporteo, 608 Ringwood Rd, Poole, Dorset BH12 4LY 00 44 1202 740 919. Mail order only. Gladiators, 101 High St., Evesham, Worcs., WR11 4DN. 0044 1386 421 296 Blades, 35 Edinburgh Drive, Staines, Middx. TW18 1PJ. 0044 1784 255 522. France Lames, Soudet, Uhlmann stockists. Generally good value, but Uhlmann can be expensive. Adidas shoes cheaper than most. The easiest for parking within the London area. White Knights, Freepost DL780, Spennymoor, Co. Durham DL16 6BR. 0044 1388 815 491 |
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1/2 February 1997. 16/ 17 Feb. Intervarsities
UCD Eamonn McGrattan (01) 283 5806 |
For Sale Electric Sabre Jacket. Size 38 For details, phone Alex Miekle on 080 1232 799 583 |
The 1997 Junior World Championships will take place in Tenerife, just before Easter. At the time of going to press, Irish representatives had not been selected for this prestigious event, but it is expected that some of our young fencers will be there. The April issue of Irish Fencing News will have full coverage of the event. |
At Home Federation
Cup 1996 Dublin
Epee 1996 Schull
Novice Cup 1996 Irish
Senior Open Championships 1996 |
Abroad John Twomey achieved one of Ireland’s best Grade A results for some time, coming 20th out of 98 in Tallinn. Five fencers represented Ireland at the European Championships held in Limoges in December. Fate was not looking favourably on Ireland as John Twomey and Michael O’Brien drew each other in the first round of direct elimination in the men’s’ Epee. It was a close fight in which John eventually beat Michael 15-13. In the second round John lost to Vanky, of Sweden, who went on to come 3rd. Daragh Quinn, also fencing men’s Epee, Aidan Dempsey in the junior men’s’ Epee and Anne-Lise Mion in the Ladies Epee were all eliminated from the pools. |
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Pavel Kolobkov (Russia) Men’s Epee, Silver Medallist, 1992 Olympics Kolobkov, an officer in the red army, has won medals in virtually every major epee championship. His first title was the Junior World Championship in 1987, which he successfully defended in 1988. As a student in the nineties he won the World Student Games in both 1991 and 1995. The years between the student games were filled with a silver medal at the 92 Olympics in Barcelona, and the World Championship titles in both 1993 and 1994. Despite his demanding training regime, he was among the group of Russian and Estonian fencers to visit Ireland, with the Estonian National coach, Peter Nellis, in 1993, when many readers will have had the chance to meet and fence with him. In last year’s Olympics in Atlanta, Kolobkov reached the last 16. |
The Irish Open saw the introduction of the first of the new safety regulations, with the mandatory use of 800 Newton masks. The new regulation did not appear to make competition fencing less accessible to many fencers as there was a higher local entry into the Open than at either the Federation Cup or the Dublin Epee. However, there is still a degree of concern that fencers may find it difficult to comply with the new equipment requirements At the Open the availability of masks to hire on the day ensured that fencers who did not have their own regulation masks were able to compete. On both days all the masks were taken up. The Federation masks will continue to be available for hire at future competitions at the same price of £3 per day. That Ireland is seen to be taking a responsible attitude towards safety will help not only our standing internationally, but also means that the FIE are more likely to look more favourably on grant applications for equipment. Within the last twelve the FIE has helped to fund the purchase of the two new copper pistes and with the new masks. Fencers are reminded that from the National Championships, on 7/8 April 1997, 350 Newton jackets and 800 Newton plastrons will be compulsory. |
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