Olympic Test Event - Fencing

Yesterday, I went to the ExCel Centre for the very first time to support our GB Men’s foilists compete in our Olympic Test Event at the Olympic Fencing venue. Not only did it allow for the London 2012 Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to test crucial aspects of it’s operations in preparation for next year’s Games but it also allowed the boys to get a feel of the venue and what it might be like to compete in front of a home crowd come August 2012.

The boys certainly stepped up to the plate with Team A winning Gold and Team B finishing 4th after an impressive day of fencing. Both British teams were clearly up for it, and fencing with guts, determination and every bit of passion that you’d expect to see at an Olympic Test Event. I felt so proud of them because I know how hard they have been training – we all have – and it’s about time they got the result they deserved. It’s a confidence boost and shows how strong we can really be. No question, fencing in front of a home crowd will spur and push our British Team to greater heights. As Richard Kruse said upon winning gold yesterday, crowd support will give us the ‘psychological edge.’ The boys know that they can do it now. They have felt what it could be like at the actual Games and now they can believe it. What a great dress-rehearsal for them.

Women’s Foil were also given a chance to visualise what it could be like in London 2012 with a backstage tour of the ExCel Fencing venue. It was nice to see Sir Clive Woodward around the venue too, the overall Performance Director for Team GB. It was interesting to hear about the logistics of the running of the fencing at the Olympic Games. We were shown where weapon check would take place, where the warm-up halls would be, we were led into the call room and then finally out into the main arena and onto the piste. While the Test Event offered just 500 spectator seats, at the Games 8,000 spectators will be watching each session.

I was chatting to our new Strength and Conditioning Coach, Rhys Ingram, about this last week and he said that there would be two crucial, land-mark events where the realisation of a home Olympic Games would really hit us. One being the Olympic Test Event and the other being NYE when 2011 turns into 2012 and we start writing 2012 in every date and finally get to speak about the Olympic Games in the present tense. He was absolutely right.

I can only speak for myself, but walking out from the call room and into the fencing hall made everything feel so real. I started imagining the crowds, the excitement, the competition and the honour of representing your country. This is what all these years of hard-work and dedication is all about.

I find it very difficult to describe the emotions that were flying around yesterday afternoon. It was an important event for all of our Olympic hopefuls and it made me feel very lucky that I am in a position to try to qualify for the Olympic Games in London. I want to make the most of the opportunity and make sure that nothing gets left in the tank.

These little reminders and reality-checks is what I believe, gives Team GB, the upper-hand in the lead up to the London 2012 Olympic Games.