Mariel Zagunis (USA, sabre): "Rebecca Ward is only 15. The last time we won a World Championship I also only was 15. That seems to bring us luck. I am both now - Olympic and World Champion and that's just a wonderful feeling. We so wanted to win and finally after five years we made it!"
Erwan Le Pechoux (FRA): "I cannot yet believe it, it´s just a great feeling. We definitely wanted to become World Champion here in Leipzig, but the bouts against the Italian team are always very difficult, as the large number of yellow and red cards has shown. I was disappointed about my performance in the individual competitions, but the team gold medal is more than a compensation for it."
„After having scored the first hits, I noticed that despite us being four points down in the beginning of the final round, there still was the possibility for our victory. We were extremely nervous. It does not matter who is the opponent in such a bout. The whole day long our performance was great. Now we want to celebrate and get properly drunk. We will not go to bed before five o´clock tomorrow morning.“
Olaf Wolf/DFB
"Unfortunately, we all did not get as far as we had hoped. Personally, I wanted to get into the top 32 but I only reached the top 64. Our coach is from Hungary and we often train together with the Hungarian Team, so we at least are happy that the Hungarians got a bit farther. It's a pity that fencing is not very popular in Austria and that we therefore do not have so many fans who could have supported us. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the time here in Leipzig. The championships are organised very well and I like the beautiful city. The visit to the zoo and the evening in the disco were especially great. Unfortunately, we will be leaving early and cannot stay for the grand closing party. We will, of course, say goodbye to our friends among the fencers. Most of us know each other from joint training camps."
"There are few fencers in Great Britain who can make a living from fencing . I am one of them. I live and train in the USA, where I also have studied history. As my whole life is revolving around fencing at the moment I am of course especially sad that we did not win."
"Such a close score is always nerve-wrecking. We were hoping for the World Championship title, but could not be sure. The great organization of this event surely contributed to our victory. It´s a very good idea to light only the centre court during the finals."
Olaf Wolf/DFB
Maureen Nisima (FRA): "It´s unbelievable! Our team is the new World Champion! I cannot remember the last time when I shouted myself hoarse with joy. Tonight we will celebrate with champagne."
"I was a successful fencer in foil, épée and sabre in the past. I also coached the Australian national fencing team and I'm still working as a trainer despite my age. But I am only a visitor here in Leipzig."
Imke Duplitzer (GER, épée): "I can't do magic. I felt like a woodchopper today, compared to the elegant French fencers. They were very concentrated and disciplined. We, however, were a bit distracted. Let's see if we can motivate ourselves again for the fight for the bronze medal. We have not yet fenced against the Russians very often but they will not be a pleasant opponent because of their difficult style."
Olaf Wolf/DFB
Dennis Bauer (GER, sabre): "At 24:24 we all believed we would be able to beat France. I couldn't tell why we then did not make it in the last bouts; at any rate we did not perform as well as we did against Romania. It is a pity because we had had higher hopes. But after all I think we did quite well against last year`s Olympic Champion. The public was great, too, and supported us a lot."
"In India, fencing is only known since 1989. That is why the evolution of fencing is supported very much. Unfortunately, only few people are interested in fencing as yet. Although we lost 4:45 against China we really enjoy the bouts. Leipzig is also a great place. When we are not competing we try to get a look at the city."
Two-time World Champion of 2005 Jerôme Jeannet (FRA): "We obvioulsly were the favourite, but it nevertheless was difficult. Our fighting spirit has helped us to get into the final. I am happy about both medals, but I am especially glad about this one, because I can share it with the whole team."
Seoung Woo Lee (KOR, team trainer): "We have been competing with Korea a few times before, therefore we knew very well about their strengths and weaknesses. Fortunately we could compensate the condition deficit that arose during the individual competitions. Tonight we´ll have a very big party!"
Jörg Fiedler (GER): "The Spanish as well as the Hungarian team have been strong opponents for us. During the preliminaries we have noticed that we are able to perform well, but we also learned that we need to calm down our nerves. However, the French, our opponents in the final, definitely are the strongest fencers and they will be a tough nut to crack."
Karolina Chlewinska (POL): "I do not know what the reason was. We were under enormous pressure. Everybody at home expects us to return with a medal once more. Unfortunately, we did not take our chance."
Vice-World Champion Anja Müller (GER): "We always lose or win as a team and the last fencer is not the only one to blame; especially as she is the one who has to bear the highest pressure. We should have scored more points in the middle bouts in order to give Katja a bigger lead for the last one."
"We are fencing on the same level as the Germans and it's always a hard fight with a tight score. We now have to face Hungary and we will again need a lot of courage and strength."
Ingo Weißenborn (German national coach): "We unfortunately could not defend the four point lead that we had at the beginning of the last round. But we have to say that this is the first world championship ever for Katja Waechter. She could have been a bit more offensive at the end but she did well as the last fencer. Altogether, I would mark the team's performance as good to fair today. But there is no such thing as marks in fencing, the only thing that counts is victory or defeat."
Olaf Wolf/DFB
Team trainer Ali Belhaja (QAT): "We participated in the 2003 Fencing World Championships in Havana but our men's épée team only exists four years now. A women's team was created only one year ago. The sport did not exist in Quatar and the fencing centre was built from scratch. Fencing is supported by the government now, also because it is in the tradition of Muslim sword fighting. We may only have students in our team but they can live well on their sport sponsorship."
"Cuba is a very difficult opponent for us and we are nervous about fencing them. I therefore even used my breaks to watch the Cubans a little. However, we are stronger with the team than in the individuals. The pressure and the motivation are higher when you are fighting in the team because you are not fighting just for yourself but for the whole team. The responsibilty of each fencer in the team is higher." Team Hungary is no. 3 on the team world ranking and won the silver medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
"Fencing is the perfect integrated sport. Wheelchair fencer Martin Ahner for example trains together with Daniel Strigel and Jörg Fiedler. Martin Schmitt, also from the German national épée team, even is the trainer of the men's wheelchair épée team. Our wheelchairs are fixed and we cannot roll here or there and therefore cannot avoid our opponents as fast as the non wheelchair fencers. We make up for this handicap by moving our upper body. The non wheelchair fencers are not used to this but they adapt themselves quickly to our technique."
Olaf Wolf/DFB
"This is not only a world championship for young mothers but also for young fathers," said the newly crowned foil world champion alluding to women's foil world champion Valentina Vezzali (ITA). "This victory is my first present to my little daughter Virginia and also to my wife and my coach." But he admits: "This gold medal is no substitute for the one I missed in Athens last year."
Olaf Wolf/DFB
"My whole concentration was directed towards this tournament. I had analysed video recordings of my final opponent in advance which has helped me a lot today. Now I only need the gold medal in the team competition."
Olaf Wolf/DFB
"Fencing is not like a request programme. We have to admit that we did not at all live up to our expectations, especially when it comes to women's and men's épée. But we had also higher hopes for men's foil. Still the results are not a catastrophe for the DFB. We have caught up especially in the disciplines we performed worst in at the Olympic Games. Many bouts were very close and in most cases we lost. The worldwide performance boost in fencing has again become apparent here in Leipzig. Many possible medalists have dropped out early and the German fencers were amongst them."
„I did not really get into the bout and that also explains why I was eight points down in the beginning. The referee took some controversial decisions and my opponent was not penalized for blocking his body with his head. The fast flicking shoulder touches that I have been using successfully until now are no longer allowed under the new rules. I had great plans for these championships but that’s what fencing is like, things can also go wrong.”
„My defeat today is not due to my training, but it was a matter of the mind. Some strategies simply did not work today and at the end I lacked the necessary self-confidence. It was a difficult bout but I enjoyed it nevertheless. Especially in the Arena - everything is bigger compared to what we are used to.”
"Thanks to the generous invitation from FIE President René Roch, I was able to follow all the competitions since the beginning of the World Championships in Leipzig. Especially the French and the Italians fence very elegantly. But in general handling the blade today seems to be slower than when I was fencing. Fencers today also rely more on attacking than on elaborate strategies. Considering all the innovations I think one should of course not mark time, but I think we should also not forget what an elegant sport fencing really is. We do not primarily fence for the TV cameras or for the spectators, but for victory. I have been very surprised and positively impressed by the rapid changes in Leipzig. It is 2 years now since I was here last, and now the city’s appearance has changed immensely and it is beautiful. Many people who live and work here in Leipzig are very committed; they are the ones who make this great change possible. I am really impressed."
“I definitely could have fenced better and I am disappointed by my own performance. I unfortunately could not train as much as I would have liked because of my studies and that made itself felt today.”
“It’s a fantastic tournament and I love being here in Leipzig. Everything is very well organised and the bouts are on a very high level. It is a wonderful experience to fence on the lighted pistes of the centre court.”
Olaf Wolf/DFB
"Although during the season I suffered many injuries, I am very happy about my performance. World Championships follow their own rules. I have stopped counting my medals, I simply love the atmosphere at a tournament. I am sure the team is capable of achieving gold."
Olaf Wolf/DFB
"So far, I have always lost against Sherraine Mackay. Maybe she will win gold, then at least I could say I dropped out in the bout against the World Champion. Nevertheless, I am content. In Nimes I only entered the top 16 tableau, this time I did not drop out before the eighth finals."
"Fighting in the preliminaries has not been easy, but I need these difficult bouts in order to get familiar with the tournament. I am glad I directly entered the top 64 tableau, which means that todays there is still some time for me to relax."
„Actually I wanted to score perfect hits, instead I let a few very promising moments pass. When the score was at 14:12, I twice had the chance to achieve a point, but did not manage to score the decisive hit. I will definately stay in the Arena and spur on the others until tonight, when the presentation for the Overall Champion in the World Cup will take place.“
Olaf Wolf/DFB
It was very special for Valentina Vezzali to defend her world champion title in Germany, as she had admired the famous German Anja Fichtel when she was a young fencer. "I always wanted to be like her." She undoubtedly has reached this goal. After having received her gold medal yesterday, she was, however, too tired to celebrate. "I went to the hotel and straight to bed. Many friends and colleagues tried to call me but I only wanted to talk to my family." She also does have plans for her life after fencing: "When my fencing career comes to an end, I would like to move to the higher ranks of the Italian police service."
Joachim Rieg, coach of the German national men’s sabre team, said: “Nico started off really strong, but broke down at the end. He has had his chance. Of course, there were some controversial decisions, but the bout was so fast that even the instant replay could not have brought more clarity. It is more important to have referees who take objective decisions for both fencers.”
"I thought I would lose my nervousness from the beginning, but I was still really nervous. It is very different to participate in real World Championships, " said the 19-year old Junior World Champion. "I have often been defeated by strong opponents or failed because of myself, but I have not felt that good in a tournament for the last three years. It won't be easy to continue fencing on such a high level, but the great atmosphere here and the great centre court are a great motivation."
"I feel excellent, the bout was easy. It is now that the real competition starts and I will be meeting stronger opponents. My goal is to fence well, we will see how things develop then."
"I feel in quite a good shape, even though I'm just having some problems with my right shoulder." Nevertheless, the religious Italian has confidence in God giving him assistance. He's looking forward to an exciting competition. "I'm going to give my best."
„This gold medal actually is a surprise for me. Having so many good fencers on the pistes, it is always a surprise to be the best one. And today I was lucky as well. But I also wanted to win the title - more than anything else. I love fencing and I am as happy today as I was when I won my first WC title in Essen in 1993. I am sure that I also do benefit from the old Russian fencing school.”
Olaf Wolf/DFB
„I am very happy despite the tight defeat. It is great that all the people to whom I owe so much are here in Leipzig. A defeat is always disappointing, of course, but I think that I presented myself very well. I hope that we will be just as successful with the team in the next few days. Tomorrow might even be a golden day for the fencers of the other weapon categories!”
After only two and a half months of training, Valentina Vezzali won a surprise victory today. Exactly four months after the birth of her son Pietro she defeated the German Anja Müller with a tight 11:10. „The gold medal was not my main goal. I just wanted to take part again and experience the fun of a World Championship,“ the happy winner explains.
Olaf Wolf/DFB
"Adeline was very well prepared. I, however, had some difficulties. It was a really hard bout. I was two points ahead but I lacked the energy to maintain this lead. That's sports: sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. The atmosphere here is great. Compared to other tournaments, there are many spectators here and it's very well organized, too."
"Of course I would have loved to stay in the tournament longer in my home town, but Sylwia is the current European Champion. I only slowly got into the bout and at the end I was out of breath. Unfortunately, I could not reach my goal to enter the top 16 but I am not disappointed about it. I now have to think about the team competition."
Olaf Wolf/DFB
"Until now I am fencing very concentrated which is not as easy as it sounds after competing against six opponents in the preliminaries. It's hard to say which rank I can achieve at these Championships. It always depends on how I feel at the day." The number 17 of the FIE world ranking only missed the direct qualification by a hair's breadth.
"I only just missed out on a medal in Leipzig. I did my best, I just could not do more today. During training, everything went well for me and I surely have the potential to win a gold medal. I proved that in Athens. But a training and a tournament are two different things. Maybe our team will make it, we are strong enough to succeed. In three days time I will have regained my strength."
Olaf Wolf/DFB
"It feels everything but comfortable to fight against one´s own brother. I do not forget that at any time during the bout. It feels very different to fight against one´s own brother than to fight against any other opponent. Now I´ll see how I´ll perform in the next bout, I might eventually even win the gold medal."
Olaf Wolf/DFB
"I was keen to win, of course, but we are a great team. That's why I'm happy for Sven being still in the competition. The whole team is supporting him now and spurs him on." And Sven Schmid added: "Today Norman was for it. He defeated me 14:15 in Athens but today I got my revenge." Apart from Sven Schmid, the German Daniel Strigel also reached the top 16 tableau.
"Although I am out already, I am very very happy with my performance. After all, it´s my first non-junior World Championship. I had not actually expected to enter the top 64 tableau, so my results are great."
"I am content with my performance. It´s my first time here in Leipzig, but I do not see much of the city. I only concentrate on the tournament. After all, I might become World Champion!"
Only four months after giving birth to her son Pietro she is back on the piste, surpising everyone. "I began training again only 18 days after the delivery. I feel really fit and I think that God had a part in my fast comeback," says the religious Sicilian. Her husband and her mother are taking care of her son while she is competing in Leipzig.
"I am very relieved that everything went well today. I lost the first bout purely because of my nervousness but I got better against the stronger fencers. Being a local fencer I enjoy the cheering from the spectators but I try to transfer the pressure onto my opponents. My personal goal would be rank 9 to 16 or even better rank 5 to 8. I think that I don't have to fear comparison."
Although I only participated in few tournaments this season, I am very satisfied with my performance today. I hope things will continue to go as well for me tomorrow and that more spectators will come to the Arena to watch the bouts. I really like the atmosphere here, it almost feels like at the Olympic Games.
Olaf Wolf/DFB
"It is always hard to assess a preliminary round, after all I had to face five different opponents. I succeeded and I am delighted! In total, 182 épée fencers participate in the World Championships here in Leipzig - and I want to beat them all. That's my goal and I would not have come for less. I want to win a medal, of course!"
Please click here for news archive >>
Sponsoren
15.10.05 6:57 pm
US women's sabre team wins World Championship 45:36 against Russia
15.10.05 6:18 pm
French team is men´s foil World Champion after 45:32 victory over Italy
15.10.05 5:08 pm
Peter Joppich (GER, foil) very happy about the bronze medal after 45:40 victory against China
15.10.05 1:12 pm
Martina Genser (AUT, foil) takes stock for Austrian fencers
all messages >>
Download the Fencing World Championships onto your desktop.
take a tour through the virtual arena
(in german only)
