Wheely good

I'm at the European Fencing Championships - today I was part of the wheelchair fencing event, divided by sex, weapon and disability category. I came away convinced that wheelchair fencing (and refereeing) is much, much harder than the able-bodied variety. You're locked into a frame within hitting distance of each other. That means you can't beat a tactical retreat for a breather and a rethink, nor can you run your opponent up and down in the hope that s/he has a heart attack before you do. Instead, you have to attack immediately and never stop. It's ridiculously fast and stressful. It's cool. Here are some pictures (click to enlarge), and the rest are here. More tomorrow if I get a chance to take any.

Runner-up Sabrina Poignet