These are just low- profiled U-20 fencing matches in which
competitors are little known to the public and their teammates make
up the bulk of the spectators.
But China's young fencers are taking the four-yearly City Games
to sharpen their blades for more important events in the
future.
"I am happy to win the City Games title but what I eye are the
Beijing and London Olympics," said Chen Jinyan, gold medal winner
of women's foil.
Chen's ambition is echoed by most of the individual event
winners, finalists and even some of the young competitors who only
made their way to quarterfinals.
"The goal of the City Games is to offer China's young fencers
the experience that is helpful for their grow-up," said Ji Daoming,
China's top fencing official.
As one of the handful of young fencers in the games who have had
competed in international arena, Shanghai's Chen Xiaodong
demonstrated dominance in women's sabre, winning the title with a
10-match sweep.
She was a member of the Chinese national sabre team that took
the fourth place in the Bangkok Universiade in August.
Zhu Min, another top runner among China's fencing hopefuls and
also member of the national squad, didn't seem to have normal play
in her discipline.
She lost both the semifinal and the 3rd place matches, which is
the biggest surprise in the three-day competition so far.
"It is very normal to see unexpected matches and fencers in City
Games," said Ji.
Wen Danling from Guangzhou is widely considered the biggest dark
horse in individual events. She almost came out from nowhere to
snap down the epee gold.
Young fencers on the pistes here compose the backbone of a
talented young Chinese team which will be very competitive in five
to ten years, said a coach from northern Shenyang team.
China won unprecedented three silver fencing medals in the
Athens Olympic Games. Luan Jvjie, who won women's foil in Los
Angeles in 1984, is up to now the only fencing gold medalist in
China's Olympic history.
(Xinhua News Agency October 30, 2007)