Erika Āze (middle) in Tokyo together with FIE Vice President Donald Anthony and FIE Oceania President Helen Smith.
Photo from Erika Āze’s archive
Ilmārs Stūriška, “Latvijas Avīze”, JSC “Latvijas Mediji”
The President of the Latvian Fencing Federation (LPF) Ērika Āze awarded the Estonian team with a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games for his victory in fencing with a spear.
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Ace is a member of the Executive Committee of the International Federation of Fencing (FIE) and is responsible for the work of the Medical Commission and anti-doping issues: “It is my duty in Tokyo to see if everything goes smoothly according to the rules. I am convinced that there will be no problem with doping. Several studies have been done and fencing is one of the cleanest sports, and doping is very rare. ”
She evaluates the organization of the Olympic Games positively, but does not have the feeling of 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.
“All the streets around the hotel we live in are closed, there are a lot of police. There is a sense of celebration, but no freedom. You don’t see people on the street, cars. I can only say the best about Japanese volunteers – responsive, friendly, as well as the hotel staff. I don’t feel like an uninvited guest, ”Āze told Latvijas Avīze.
“Of course, athletes lack spectators. I have a very close relationship with many fencers, especially Estonians, I want to love, to embrace, but I have to keep my distance. I can’t even present flowers and medals. ”
The success of the Estonian women’s fencing team in Tokyo – bronze and gold – is not a big surprise for her.
Knowing the athletes from junior age, Julia Belayeva has been a world champion, and this time all together managed to realize the potential.
After the restoration of national independence, Estonian swordsmen have been to seven Olympic Games, medals won for the first time. Latvia has been represented only once – in 2000 in Sydney by Jūlija Vansoviča.
The president of LPF thinks that during the next two Olympic cycles, another Latvian swordsman can get to the big forum again.
“We have had very good juniors – we have been the fourth in the world, in 2019 the girls were the fourth in the world for cadets. As in other sports, the transition to the adult level is very difficult. You can’t grow up from juniors and be stable in sixteen adults.
It’s a long process, you have to put in a huge amount of work that not everyone can endure – they finish school, start studying. A very strong swordsman is Vitaly Kuceba, who studies in the USA, there is a very good coach. Let’s see how life will be shaped after graduation.
Fencing is not a professional sport, and in order to get funding, the results must be excellent, ”said Ērika Āze.
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