The Swiss epee fencers achieved a respectable fifth place at the World Cup in Bern. Association President Max Heinzer is now announcing significant expansions.
The Swiss epee fencers narrowly missed out on a major success at the World Cup in Bern. Under the leadership of Max Heinzer, the current president of the federation and former top fencer, the team achieved a respectable fifth place. In the quarter-finals, Lucas Malcotti, Alexis Bayard, Ian Hauri and substitute fencer Hadrien Favre were defeated 37:40 by the strong French team. Despite this narrow defeat, they were able to secure a respectable place by beating Kazakhstan and Poland. In the individual competition, however, no Swiss made it past the first main round.
Max Heinzer, who coached the team in the absence of a national coach, expressed his satisfaction at working with his former teammates. "It was a pleasure to work with the team and to accompany their performances," said Heinzer. He emphasized the importance of a positive and constructive atmosphere during the tournament.
Future plans and the question of a coach
Intensive talks are currently underway to fill the position of national coach. A long-term solution is to be found by the beginning of next year in order to optimize the Olympic cycle until Los Angeles 2028.
Expansion of the tournament
There are already concrete plans to expand the tournament in the future. From 2025, the World Cup in Gümligen near Bern will also be open to women. This expansion would make the event a more inclusive tournament and could raise awareness of the sport of fencing in Switzerland and internationally. The organizers are hoping for the support of the International Fencing Federation to realize this important step.
SDA
