Dhe “Lion of Bonn”, the only World Cup event in men’s foil in Germany, has been canceled due to the Russia problem. The Fencing World Cup was actually supposed to be held from November 10th to 12th and would have been the 50th edition of the sporting event that is so important for Bonn. Last year, 261 fencers from 48 nations took part in the World Cup in Bonn.
The World Fencing Federation (FIE) had opened the door for athletes from these two nations even before the recommendation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to allow Russians and Belarusians to compete again in international competitions.
Gudrun Nettersheim, President of the Olympic Fencing Club Bonn, told the Süddeutsche Zeitung in view of the ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine: “This is a decision that we made because an inhuman war is being waged. And we have made these for all athletes in the club. In general, I think it is much worse to leave this to the individual than to say in principle that we are all against it, because that is a very clear line.” She would like that “from every umbrella organization, nationally and internationally,” said Nettersheim.
The women’s foil world cup in Tauberbischofsheim was also returned because of the Russia problem, and the event is now taking place this weekend in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. The foil fencer Leonie Ebert, who started for Tauberbischofsheim, told the FAZ: “We have to prepare as if everything were normal.” give guidelines for action.
The decision will be passed on to the individual athletes: “It’s a stressful phase right now.” However, a boycott is out of the question: “If I want to pursue my dream of the Olympics, I have no other choice,” said world number four Ebert.
