13.10.05 19:54
South Korea wins women´s foil fencing team competition/French men´s épée team defeats German team in final
The South Korean women’s foil fencing team is the new Team World Champion. On the sixth day of the 2005 Fencing World Championship in Leipzig they defeated their opponents from Romania 20:19 in the final. In the bout for the bronze medal, France won over Hungary 45:33. Similarly to the last days’ individual competitions, many possible medallists among the women’s foil teams also had dropped out early. Poland, 2003 World Champion and title holder, lost 27:29 against France in the quarter finals. The Italian women fencers, first on the world ranking list, also dropped out 21:23 against Romania already in the quarter finals. The German women foil fencers were defeated 24:25 by China after extra time in the round of the top 16. The German men´s épée team, who won the bronze medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, has been more successful today than the German women´s foil team. The 2004 Olympic Games bronze medalists are the new Vice World Champion. In the final there were defeated 31:35 by the French team, the Olympic Champion and new World Champion. The German men´s épée team had defeated Hungary 45:36 in the semi-finals. The Hungarians lost the bout for the bronze medal 42:40 against Ukraine. Tomorrow, the team competitions in men´s sabre and women´s épée will take place.

11.10.05 19:39
Anne-Lise Touya is the new women’s sabre World Champion/Salvatore Sanzo wins men’s foil gold medal
Anne-Lise Touya (FRA) is the new women’s épée World Champion. She won 15:13 against Sophia Velikaia (RUS) under the eyes of 2.100 spectators. Italians Alessandra Lucchino and Ilaria Bianco won the bronze medal. The hopes of the possible medallists Mariel Zagunis (2004 Olympic Champion) and her team-mate Sada Jacobson (No. 1 of the world rankings) were dashed today, on the fourth day of competition. While the latter managed to enter the quarter-finals (13:15 against Ilaria Bianco, ITA) Zagunis had already dropped out 9:15 against Rebecca Ward (USA) in the round of the last 16. Foil fencers Salvatore Sanzo (ITA) and Liangliang Zhang (CHN) opposed each other in the second final of the day. Accompanied by enthusiastically singing Italian fans, Sanzo defeated his opponent 15:4 and won the gold medal. Nicolas Beaudan (FRA) and Andrei Deev (RUS) both won the bronze medal. All well-known fencers had dropped out early in this discipline as well. Title holder Brice Guyart (FRA) was defeated 13:15 by Slawomir Mocek (POL) already in the top 64 tableau, 2003 World Champion Peter Joppich (GER) lost 10:15 against James Beevers (GBR) in the top 32 tableau.

11.10.05 10:50
Children and young people from Leipzig will take over pistes of the 2005 Fencing Wold Championships tomorrow
Tomorrow, the men’s épée fencers fencing in the team preliminaries will be spurred on by 250 pupils from Leipzig. The children and young people were invited to come to the championships by the Leipzig Stadtsportbund (an association of more than 330 Leipzig sport clubs) and the regional school department. The day’s activities are an opportunity for the children to experience fencing live and to try out the sport themselves. “The idea for this “pupils’ day” came from the championship’s organisation committee. We wanted to take the chance to present this fascinating sport to the children and young people of this city,” comments Michael Mamzed, director of the Leipzig Stadtsportbund and manager of the pupils’ day. "The pupils will be welcomed as official guests of this World Championship. They will, of course, receive free admission and get real accreditation passes,” adds Mamzed. After getting inspired by the preliminaries the kids can try out fencing themselves. Talents from the Leipzig Fencing Club will explain the weapon categories and the principles of parry, riposte, attack and defence. Afterwards, two wheelchair fencers will demonstrate that fencing really is a sport for everyone. The school classes also had the possibility to apply for team sponsorships. 14 classes will now have the possibility to accompany their national team during the team competitions until 15 October.

10.10.05 20:08
Danuta Dmowska wins women's épée WC gold/New Vice World Champion Maarika Vosu defeats Laura Flessel in semi-finals
Danuta Dmowska (POL) is women's épée 2005 World Champion. In the final, she defeated Maarika Vosu (EST), who has surprised everyone by her excellent performance today, in front of almost 2000 spectators in the Leipzig Arena, scoring 12:11 after extra time. In the semi-finals Vosu had surprisingly defeated Laura Flessel-Colovic (FRA), second on the world ranking list and contender for the title. Sherraine Mackay (CAN) won the other bronce medal. Imke Duplitzer (GER), current no. 1 on the world rankings, already dropped out in the top 64 tableau and had to give up any hope for a gold medal. Before the official presentation ceremony, she received the award for the overall winner in the World Cup.

10.10.05 19:50
Mihai Covaliu (ROM) wins men’s sabre WC gold/Title holder Aldo Montano defeated by four-time World Champion Stanislaw Podzniakow in quarter-finals
Mihai Covaliu (ROM) is the new men´s sabre world champion. He defeated Stanislaw Podzniakov 15:12 in the finals of the 2005 fencing World Championship in Leipzig. „It is really great. I dedicate this victory to my son,“ said Covaliu. Oleg Shturbabin (UKR) and Alexey Yakimenko (RUS) won bronce. Title holder Aldo Montano (ITA) was defeated 10:15 by the four-time Russian World Champion (1996, 1997, 2001, 2002) Stanislaw Podzniakov already in the quarter finals. The current junior world champion Nicolas Limbach (GER) also dropped out in the quarter finals. With a tight score of 14:15, he lost against Alexey Yakimenko (RUS), who is overall winner in the World Cup and the current no. 1 in the fencing world ranking list. Also today, on the third day of the 2005 fencing World Championships in the Leipzig Arena, the men´s foil and women´s sabre preliminaries took place. Tomorrow, among the men title holder Brice Guyart (FRA) and Erwan Le Pechoux, no. 1 on the world ranking list, will be fencing. On the same day, female Olympic world champion Mariel Zagunis (USA), 2001 world champion Anne-Lise Touya (USA) and Sada Jacobson (USA), no. 1 on the world rankings, will be on the piste.

9.10.05 20:44
Valentina Vezzali (ITA) wins sixth WC gold medal of her career/Anja Müller (GER) vice world champion
Valentina Vezzali is the old and new world champion in foil fencing. The Italian defeated the German Anja Müller 11:10 with a „golden touch“. Edina Knapek (HUN) and French champion Adeline Wuilleme (FRA) won bronze. Anja Müller was spurred on by the applause of excited Leipzig spectators and „Anja, Anja“ shouts and won the quarter finals 12:11 against Lei Thang (CHN). „Today, a life’s dream comes true, it’s just great!“, said the 28 year old fencer. She continued her success story with a clear 15:7 against Adeline Wuilleme (FRA) in the semi final. In the final, Müller was still one point ahead at the beginning of the third round. However, in the end she had to submit herself to the foil’s grand dame Valentina Vezzali in the overtime.

9.10.05 20:43
Pavel Kolobkov new world champion in men’s épée/Title holder Marcel Fischer already dropped out in quarter finals
Pavel Kolobkov (RUS) is the new world champion in men’s épée. He defeated Frenchman Fabrice Jeannet 15:14 who won silver. Bas Verweijlen (NED) and Claus Moerch (NOR) won the bronze medal. About 2500 spectators saw very interesting fights in the Leipzig Arena during the second day of the 2005 Fencing World Championships. The last three year's champions were fencing on three pistes. 2002’s champion Pavel Kolobkov (RUS) was fencing against Andrei Murashko (BLR) 15:10, 2003’s champion Fabrice Jeannet (FRA) defeated his brother Jerome Jeannet (FRA) 15:9 and title holder Marcel Fischer (SUI) lost against Bas Verwijlen (NED) 9:15. While Marcel Fischer already dropped out in the quarter finals, Kolobkov again triumphed this year and won gold. At the same time, the German men’s saber and women’s épée teams were very successful in their preliminaries. All eight athletes will fence again in the top 64 tableaus tomorrow.

9.10.05 9:50
Ellen Müller-Preis, 1932 World Champion and Olympic Champion, at the 2005 Fencing World Championships in Leipzig
Ellen Müller-Preis, fencing world champion and 1932 Olympic champion attends the 2005 World Championships in Leipzig. Müller-Preis, who is 93 years old and lives in Vienna, won the first gold medal of her international career at the 1932 Olympic games in Los Angeles, where she defeated Heather Guiness from the UK in the finals. Müller-Preis was born in 1912 in Berlin-Charlottenburg, her father was from the Steiermark (Austria) and her mother from the Rhineland (Germany). She only started foil fencing at the age of 18, she was taught by her famous aunt, fencing master Prof. Wilhelmine Werdink, and achieved amazing results. After not even one year of training, Ellen Müller-Preis, a former athlete, won bronce at the European Championships in Vienna. One year later, her team won silver at the European Championships in Copenhagen. Even after a career full of triumphs, she remained faithful to fencing, e.g. by teaching as fencing master h.c. Prof. Mag. at the Reinhardt-Seminar; she also taught at the Vienna State Opera House and at Vienna´s Burgtheater. For 20 years, she was involved in the Salzburg Festival. For a long time, Müller-Preis, 19-time winner of the foil fencing Austrian Championships, taught breathing and movement techniques as Professor Emeritus at the Vienna University of Music and Performing Arts. She worked together with famous personalities from the musical and theatrical world, such as Franco Zefirelli, Leonard Bernstein, Herbert von Karajan, and with the Royal Shakespeare Company. She held masters courses in England, Australia, the USA, Japan, France, the Netherlands, and Germany. Her fencing successes include: third place at the European Championships in 1931, European Vice Champion with team in 1932, Olypmpic Champion in 1932, third place with team at the World Championships in 1933, Vice World Champion in 1935, Olympic bronce and WC bronce with team in 1936, WC bronce in 1937, World Champion in 1947, Olympic bronce and fourth place with team in 1948, World Champion in 1949, World Champion in 1950, seventh place at the Olympic Games in 1956, WC bronce with team in 1957.

8.10.05 18:13
Valentina Vezzali and Pavel Kolobkov pass preliminary rounds and will fence for WC gold tomorrow/Katja Wächter and Norman Ackermann reach next rounds as well
Today, on the first day of the 2005 Fencing World Championships, the preliminary rounds in men's épée and women's foil (individual competitions)took place. Only four months after the birth of her son Pietro, five times world champion (1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004) and Olympic gold medalist Valentina Vezzali (ITA) passed her bouts with flying colours. Three times world champion (1993, 1994, 2002) Pavel Kolobkov (RUS) also made it to the top 64. Foil fencer Katja Wächter (GER) and épée fencer Norman Ackermann (GER) still compete for the team of the German Fencing Federation (DFB). They will fence for the WC medals in their disciplines tomorrow. At the same time as the bouts in men's épée (starting at 8.30 am) and women's foil (11.30 am), the preliminary rounds in men's sabre (8.30 am) and in women's épée (11.30 am) will take place.

8.10.05 17:55
Fencing World Championships 2005 officially declared open/729 athletes from 82 countries will celebrate a “world festival of fencing” until 15 October
Today, the 79th Fencing World Championships started with a imaginative opening show in the Arena in Leipzig, Germany. 729 athletes from 82 countries will be competing for the gold medal in the categories épée, sabre and foil until 15 October. „This is the first big test for fencing after the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004 and I am sure that Leipzig is excellently prepared to meet this challenge,” said president of the International Fencing Federation (FIE) René Roch in front of an audience of 1800 people. „During these Championships we will experience fencing as a very modern sport. For the first time at a World Championship, disputable decisions can be reviewed using instant replay, the finals will take place on a centre court, all bouts can be observed online in real time, and furthermore the athletes will compete on newly developed pistes,” explains Roch. In German he thanked the German Fencing Federation (DFB), the Leipzig Organization Committee, and all sponsors for the excellent preparations. „We have long been waiting for this day; finally our vision of a Fencing World Championship on German pistes comes true,” adds Gordon Rapp, the DFB president. „Let us celebrate fencing together and experience competitions that are exciting and - above all - fair.” Wolfgang Tiefensee, the Mayor of Leipzig, also welcomed both athletes and spectators in Leipzig, the “city of sports and the peaceful revolution of 1989”. “Without this revolution, that took place exactly 16 years ago, we would not be able to hold this event against a background of peace and freedom. We will not disappoint the FIE and DFB who have placed their confidence in us.”