FENCING:Julian Drew
ALTHOUGH there will be more than 60 countries taking part in the Fencing World Championships in Cape Town next week, the medals are likely to be divided between only a few nations.
The traditional fencing powers of France, Italy and Hungary, along with Russia – who have won more medals than any other country since the 1960s – should account for the majority of medals with countries like Germany, Rumania, Poland, Cuba and China also putting in a strong challenge.
South Africa has never had a strong fencing tradition and, as with most sports, lagged even further behind during isolation. The arrival of international coaches has seen standards rise quickly since 1992, however, and local fencers are now beginning to make a mark internationally.
Top of the current crop is 23-year-old Daniel Steenkamp from Pretoria who is the only South African fencer with a world ranking. Steenkamp started fencing seven years ago and joined up with top German coach Paul Hentschel in 1992. He finished 24th in the pe competition at the 1994 world championships – the best placing yet by a South African – and entered the world rankings for the first time.
Like many of the South African team he benefitted from two, month-long training camps at the German Olympic fencing academy in Tauber Bischoffheim – one in December and the most recent in April. “Training in Tauber Bischoffheim was probably the best thing that ever happened to South African fencing because we were a great group of people who went there and fenced against some of the best people in the world,” said Steenkamp.
“We also learnt how to train when not fencing. We had a fencing instructor looking after us but also a running instructor, a gym instructor and a sports psychologist. They did scientific tests on us and showed us how to run, how fast to run and what type of exercises to do in the gym to interpret the explosive nature of fencing.”
Those were not Steenkamp’s first visits to Tauber Bischoffheim but they certainly provide better memories than his previous visit in 1995. Having won the African title he was sent there by the National Olympic Committee of South Africa (Nocsa) to try and reach the last eight in an “A” grade world cup competition – Nocsa’s requirement for him to make the Olympic team.
“I didn’t do very well because the pressure was too great. I can’t make the top eight yet but I believe I will do soon because I’m working towards my ultimate goal of winning the world championships or Olympic Games.”
A good measure of Steenkamp’s progress was his recent bout against current pe world number one and 1992 Olympic champion Eric Srecki of France at the Berne Cup in Switzerland where he lost 15-13 in the 64 elimination round.
“I went into the fight thinking I’ve got nothing to lose and he’s got everything to lose so I just concentrated on enjoying myself and doing my best.” Steenkamp says it was the finest moment of his fencing career when he turned round after shaking Srecki’s hand and the whole Italian team applauded him and came to shake his hand.
It was also a major confidence booster because he had previously had problems with the French fencers who use a different grip on their weapons.
Steenkamp says he must focus more in the ranking pool bouts so that he gets a better draw in the elimination rounds. In both Berne and another world cup competition in Germany he didn’t concentrate enough in the ranking pool and then, despite fighting much better in the elimination rounds, didn’t move beyond the 64 elimination round because he met the top seeds.
Next week hopefully he will get it right in the ranking round but sensibly he is making no predictions other than, “I will do my best.”