Friday, September 8, 2000
Pentathlon News Online

GB squad seek fencing practice

When the Great Britain modern pentathlon team of two arrived at the pre-Olympic training camp here on Monday, the management was straight on the phone. Contact was made with Sweden and Germany to find fencing opposition for Steph Cook and Kate Allenby. According to Dominic Mahony, the team manager, the fencing will be critical in pursuit of a medal. All he hopes is that there is no dirty dealing among other countries.

So much importance does Mahony place on the correct preparation that Fridrich Foldes, Britain’s specialist coach for the discipline, has been flown out, along with two accomplished fencers, Georgina Usher and Emily Bright. “Three or four victories in the fencing will make the difference,” Mahony said. “Fridrich will be giving lessons on an almost daily basis.”

Mahony was speaking with Cook in mind as a potential winner, provided that she can hold her own in the fencing. She is so good a runner that if she can reach the last discipline within a minute of the leader, the top prize should be hers. A good swimmer and excellent rider, Cook needs solid form in the shooting and fencing to put her in with a chance becoming her sport’s first Olympic women’s champion.

“I have got a bit of a reputation as a runner,” Cook said yesterday. More than a bit. She came through from fourteenth place to take silver in the European championships in Szekesfevar, Hungary, in July, having pulled up from 25th to ninth on the run in the world championships in Pesaro, Italy, in June. She fenced poorly in Pesaro but improved in Szekesfevar.

This is Cook’s best chance of an international title because, after the Olympics, new scoring will correct an imbalance between running and swimming. At present, the system favours running. Although he acknowledged that arranged fencing results are less likely than before, because of a more international approach to refereeing, Mahony remains concerned that such agreements may work against his team. He is worried about possible deals being done between countries from within eastern Europe, whereby staged losses now could be traded for victories at important tournaments later.

"It has been identified as an area of concern by the international federation,” Mahony said. “There was a situation in the world championships where it looked like the two athletes were not fencing and the referee stopped the fight to ask what was going on. But there was nothing he could do about it. You cannot prove anything.”

David Powell
The Times