Liverpool Open
Apr. 25th, 2016 09:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
redfiona99I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to do the Liverpool Open, what with the new job.
I've also (still) not managed to find a club here in Newcastle. There is one, it's just a bit tricky to get to. Like 44 minutes travelling just to get there, so about an hour back. And it finishes at 9, so I won't be eating till 10. On a work night! So yeah, I'm still at the feasability study stage of finding a club.
Anyway, because K who runs it is very forgving and let me enter way after the closing date.
There were 10 of us so it was two pools of 5. I got two of the left-handers, and a good right-hander I'd never fenced before. Won 1, lost 3. Was a bit miffed about losing to the good right-hander because I could have sworn several of them were my attacks, not hers, but you know, self-reffing, there's no point complaining and so on. Also, I am aware that my attacks don't always look like attacks. I knew that the quickest way to get more points was lunging practise and hoping that I got someone under 40 to ref my other fights (there is a small disagreement between the vets and the younglings on what an attack is. Morally I'm on the side of the vets, but the younglings are factually correct).
During the short break (really short, barely enough time to eat), it's the second round of pools. I get two of the good young 'uns, the girl I beat and the good right-hander. During the break, I'd learnt that she'd been an Olympic fencer who'd taken time out to have a family. This explained her fencing style.
So I go, okay, I'm going to lose, but at least I'd lose with dignity this time.
I won. 5-3.
She did not lose with dignity. I take a certain evil joy in making a grown woman stomp off the piste complaining. As alluded to above, the referee was someone under 40 this time, and therefore they recognised my attacks. Also, given I can beat her, but not a much older Olympic vet from another country, this may explain GB fencing's gap to the rest of the world.
I beat the girl I beat in the first round of pools, and lost horribly to the bambinos. The last was also expected.
All of this meant I drew the girl I'd beaten twice already in my first DE. I beat her again, just, which was what I expected since both wins had only been 5-4.
Then I got C, one of the left-handers. Who I have never beaten in 12 years of trying. I still didn't beat her, but 10-15 is as close as I've ever come, so I was quite happy.
Because Mum wasn't ready to pick me up, I got to watch the rest of the foil matches. One day I will be able to do that thing that A, one of the bambinos, does. One day!
So yes, I can go into my hopefully temporary retirement from the piste reasonably happy.
~~~~
Postscript - My result at Birmingham means that, when the April rankings finally came out (on the 20th), I am 59th in the country. I knew the Birmingham carried a stupid amount of points but this is ridiculous :)
I've also (still) not managed to find a club here in Newcastle. There is one, it's just a bit tricky to get to. Like 44 minutes travelling just to get there, so about an hour back. And it finishes at 9, so I won't be eating till 10. On a work night! So yeah, I'm still at the feasability study stage of finding a club.
Anyway, because K who runs it is very forgving and let me enter way after the closing date.
There were 10 of us so it was two pools of 5. I got two of the left-handers, and a good right-hander I'd never fenced before. Won 1, lost 3. Was a bit miffed about losing to the good right-hander because I could have sworn several of them were my attacks, not hers, but you know, self-reffing, there's no point complaining and so on. Also, I am aware that my attacks don't always look like attacks. I knew that the quickest way to get more points was lunging practise and hoping that I got someone under 40 to ref my other fights (there is a small disagreement between the vets and the younglings on what an attack is. Morally I'm on the side of the vets, but the younglings are factually correct).
During the short break (really short, barely enough time to eat), it's the second round of pools. I get two of the good young 'uns, the girl I beat and the good right-hander. During the break, I'd learnt that she'd been an Olympic fencer who'd taken time out to have a family. This explained her fencing style.
So I go, okay, I'm going to lose, but at least I'd lose with dignity this time.
I won. 5-3.
She did not lose with dignity. I take a certain evil joy in making a grown woman stomp off the piste complaining. As alluded to above, the referee was someone under 40 this time, and therefore they recognised my attacks. Also, given I can beat her, but not a much older Olympic vet from another country, this may explain GB fencing's gap to the rest of the world.
I beat the girl I beat in the first round of pools, and lost horribly to the bambinos. The last was also expected.
All of this meant I drew the girl I'd beaten twice already in my first DE. I beat her again, just, which was what I expected since both wins had only been 5-4.
Then I got C, one of the left-handers. Who I have never beaten in 12 years of trying. I still didn't beat her, but 10-15 is as close as I've ever come, so I was quite happy.
Because Mum wasn't ready to pick me up, I got to watch the rest of the foil matches. One day I will be able to do that thing that A, one of the bambinos, does. One day!
So yes, I can go into my hopefully temporary retirement from the piste reasonably happy.
~~~~
Postscript - My result at Birmingham means that, when the April rankings finally came out (on the 20th), I am 59th in the country. I knew the Birmingham carried a stupid amount of points but this is ridiculous :)
