European Veterans Fencing

Latest EVF News

• European Veterans Championships Thionville 2021 CANCELLED

  With little surprise but great sadness, I have to announce that the European Fencing Championships scheduled for Thionville next May are now cancelled.

  Our French colleagues responsible for the event were trying very hard to deliver this event for us and had prepared comprehensive plans to enable a safe competition environment. Unfortunately, the local authorities are more cautious and have indicated that they cannot support our event at this time. This has an impact on the potential sponsors, venues and hotels that we simply cannot overcome.

  Under these circumstances we agreed that we would offer the first refusal for 2023 to Thionville and they have confirmed that they will host the Individual Championships in May 2023. All other candidatures will be extended to later dates subject to the organisers being willing to maintain their applications. I want to thank all the team at Thionville for trying so hard and remaining so positive.

  We hope to bring you news of some opportunities to participate in smaller Circuit Competitions during the first half of 2021 – we will update you as soon as we have something to share.

  In the meantime, please have the best Christmas you can, stay safe and we sincerely hope that we can look forward to Hamburg together in 2022.

  Caryl Oliver, President, European Veterans Fencing

• European Veterans Team Championships Cancelled – 10 July 2020

  For the past few weeks we have been working hard with our colleagues in Belgium, trying to figure out a way that we can deliver the postponed European Team Championships in November this year.

  No matter how we looked at it and no matter how many cut-down event plans we considered we came back to some insurmountable barriers

  • While many countries have a range of strategies in place to keep everyone as safe as possible, the virus is still there and still represents an enormous threat to veteran fencers in particular
  • In order to prepare a venue that might be relatively safe in which to fence there are enormous cost implications that the organising committee cannot reasonably be expected to shoulder and which are beyond the resources of EVF
  • Not one of us involved in the organsation of these Championships is prepared to carry the burden of seeing one of our friends or colleagues get sick or die because they came and fenced at our invitation.

  As I have always stated, the wellbeing of veterans fencers in Europe is my priority so it is with enormous sadness that I have to announce the cancellation of the 2020 European Team Championships.

  I would like to thank Paul van Agtmael and his hard working team who have explored every option with myself and Benoit Pincemaille – we really tried and for a little while we really thought we were going to be able to pull it off!

  We are continuing to work hard on behalf of all veteran fencers in Europe and hope that we can celebrate together in 2021.

  For those of you asking about the Circuit Events we are currently getting feedback from local organisers who are making decisions at a local level. We will share information as it becomes available.

  Meanwhile, stay safe, keep training and be ready for when we can fence each other again.

  Caryl Oliver, President, European Veterans Fencing