If you do not have access to the Internet, or prefer to answer the questionnaire on paper, you may request a paper survey by sending an e-mail to [someone whose blushes I'll spare].Where did I spot it? On the internet.
I'm sort of back - visiting my dear old mum after an exhausting few days at the 2011 European Fencing Championships. Today was spent bolting wheelchairs into frames (5-10 minutes), the fights lasting for less than a minute, then getting them out again (5 minutes). I'm still stunned by the sheer skill needed for wheelchair fencing. I also got to watch several able-bodied current and former world champions battle for the medals last night. I didn't take any pleasure at all in seeing the British Olympic medal hopes go out in the last 32 while Brendan Cusack of Ireland (the San Marino of fencing) stormed into the last 16 (men's foil results). Best Irish result ever. Sadly my distant cousin Conor didn't do quite so well but it was good to finally say hello.
Unfortunately, after working hard for 12 hours, I was too tired to care any more - though I was enthusiastic again at 6 a.m. this morning. Until I discovered that there was only bitterly cold water available in the Victoria Halls in Sheffield. (Actually, I was sort-of pleased: I object to privately-owned student residences and was relieved to find that they're rubbish).
I took lots of photos: I'll put up some favourites in successive posts, and you can see the whole set from the first few days here. Click on these to enlarge.
If you're technically curious, I abandoned the monopod and zoom lenses, and used my 50mm set at f/1.8, 400fps at 640/800 ISO except on the well-lit finals pistes, where I went to 500fps at f/2.2. No vibration reduction or autofocus - it slows down the shot and at these speeds, you need every fraction of a second. The high ISO causes graininess, but it's bearable. The camera is a Nikon D7000: it's great (but if anyone would like to donate a full-frame Nikon, I wouldn't say no).
Cusack lands one in the early stages
Brendan Cusack
An Azerbaijani women's sabreur lands a hit to the throat
On the left, victory. On the right, defeat.
Chrystall Nicoll (GBR) v Sophie Williams (GBR, in the foreground)
Neither of them look happy
Williams berates herself for an error
Biro of Hungary lands a hit on someone
Biro's opponent scores
And celebrates
1 comment:
Great blog and pictures!
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