“In terms of my values, I’m not satisfied with the situation,” clarifies Leonie Ebert. The 23-year-old foil fencer from Würzburg is in a dilemma before the upcoming Olympic qualification. When she fights against Russian competitors on the piste, she violates her own moral compass. If she doesn’t fight, she loses her chances to fence on the big stage in Paris 2024 – and with realistic chances of medals.
Leonie Ebert ranks fourth in the current world rankings of the International Fencing Federation (FIE). At the European Championships last June in Antalya, she won the title against the strongest competition. Leonie Ebert prevailed against two-time world champion Arianna Errigo from Italy in the final and had previously defeated her teammate, former title holder Alice Volpi, in the semifinals. She also won bronze in the team competition together with Anne Sauer, Leandra Behr and Kim Kirschen.
The sports soldier fighting for FC Tauberbischofsheim, who is employed as a corporal in the sports promotion group of the Bundeswehr in Mainz, is currently fighting the biggest battle inside herself. “How do I deal with that?” is the question that worries her before the Foil World Cup in Plovdiv (Bulgaria) at the weekend. She feels let down by the FIE.
The association, which was led by the Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov for many years and is still financially dependent, made a decision early on about the possible return of Russian athletes. Albeit under the condition of the individual case examination. The association initially triggered a storm of protest from the athletes and the short-term cancellation of the World Cup in Poznan. The European Championships scheduled for June in Kraków as part of the European Games are also questionable.
“We have to prepare as if everything were normal,” says Ebert, who complains about the “challenging situation” in her martial arts – and is annoyed that there are no guidelines from the sporting leadership. The decision is passed on to the individual athletes: “It’s a stressful phase right now”.
“A boycott is not an option”
As of now, the Ukrainian fencers are registered for the weekend in Plovdiv, the Russian ones are not yet. But they are checked individually to see whether they are eligible to participate, whether they may have spoken out in favor of the war in Ukraine. “In fact, almost all Russian fencers are members of the army,” says Leonie Ebert: “They have all already posted photos of themselves in uniform. The question is: How does the world association react?”
If he lets individual Russians compete, the Ukrainians would withdraw. “The Ukrainians are the ones who suffer,” says Ebert. But who would still fight. “If I want to pursue my dream of the Olympics, I have no other choice.” Expressions of sympathy that can be viewed as political demonstrations, such as a blue and yellow sign on clothing, would not even be allowed.
A side effect of the volatile starting position are the unresolved questions regarding doping controls on Russian athletes. Leonie Ebert weighs her arguments carefully, just as she was thoughtful during the Biebrich Castle Talks last week. But she still comes to the conclusion for the Olympics: “Fencing is my profession. A boycott is not an option.” She has invested ten years of her life in this dream.
She was able to get a taste of it at the games in Tokyo 2021 – she was the only German fencer to qualify and reached the round of 16. There she narrowly lost to Volpi, whom she defeated a year later at the European Championships. Time suggests that the Franconian could land a big coup in France in 2024 – but the insoluble dilemma into which the fencing association has thrown her is struggling.
