‘Sport’ Archives
A surprise victory
Having not fenced between August 2009 and May 2010, I took a flyer on the Warwickshire County Championships, 26 June, after just two training sessions. I'd expected to be soundly thrashed in one of the early rounds, and wasn't surprised to lose in the pool round 0:5 to Daniel Elliker of Birmingham Fencing Club. I still managed to be seeded fourth, [...]
Victory in Much Wenlock
It's the end of the fencing season, and it's been a good couple of days. Saturday was the British Championships, where I achieved 35th place — for once beating my UK ranking (42), and hopefully giving me enough points to push me up a little. Sunday — today — was something rather special. It was the Much Wenlock Olympian Games. Now in their [...]
Victory at the Isle of Wight
Not political victory this time, but in fencing. For the first time in years, I won a trophy: with Max Weedon and John Routledge winning the men's foil Team event. I was placed 8th in the individual event, defeating John Pryor and Richard Biggs after a bye into the second round of the direct elimination, but losing to former Olympian Nick Bell in [...]
Have Tibet protesters gone too far?
Here's an unpopular thought: how far should Free Tibet protesters be allowed to go? Should they, for example, have the right to clamp down on free speech in order to prevent their case being challenged? Don't get me wrong here. I believe Tibet ought to be free, and I believe that China should face up to world opinion. But that is not a blank [...]
