[Chooriwrocaey]

I see that the Beeb allow us to narrow the Olympic medal table by sport. Here's the fencing one.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/...sports/fencing

And here's the table for KOR:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/...es/south-korea

Fencing is their 3rd most medalled sport this year (behind shooting Archery and Shooting).

Is there anything else we find surprising looking over the medals?

[dexterljohnthefinanceguy]

Fencing is their 3rd most medalled sport this year

Medal as a noun - no problem.

Medal as a verb - very reluctantly, if I must

Medal as an adjective? No - please don't - my head will explode.

[Chiquita]

Medal as a noun - no problem.

Medal as a verb - very reluctantly, if I must

Medal as an adjective? No - please don't - my head will explode.

I'm over Olympiced. My brain may needs to desportify.

Yes I know... It's one of those days.

More importantly Ray, what about those results?

[houkbsdov]

How about this (Taken from Reuters) I know it's not fencing related, but it IS South Korea related:


'Yang Hak-seon took over the sports pages not only for winning South Korea's first gymnastics gold, with a vault that he invented, but also because it emerged that he had used his training money to support his family, so poor that they had for a while lived in a greenhouse on a farm. His reward? 100 million won ($90,000) from his federation, and ramen noodles for life from a sponsor.'

Ramen noodles for life, you say?

Student numbers in fencing will surely skyrocket!

[Jambjanatan]

Is there anything else we find surprising looking over the medals?

On the more serious note:

- South Korea won more medals than France, Germany and Russia combined.
- The US sent the largest fencing group represented fully in ALL weapons with 15 fencers, but only won ONE bronze.
- The French failed to win any medals.
- Hungary sent 4 fencers and won 1 medal.
- Norway sent 1 fencer and won 1 medal.

[gregmcal]

More importantly Ray, what about those results?

The thing that really stood out to me is that they won 6 medals in 6 different disciplines.

Italy won one more medal, but of their 7, 4 were in WF. No other country won enough medals to make a comparison.

[stadiaKab]

Remind me what weapon the fencing power houses of Norway and Venezuela got their medals in, oh of course ... the one true weapon where ranking on the day count for nowt.

[JonatonM]

Remind me what weapon the US got their medal in, oh of course, the one true weapon where ... yada yada yada

[ResistNewWorldOrder]

Remind me what weapon the fencing power houses of Norway and Venezuela got their medals in, oh of course ... the one true weapon where ranking on the day count for nowt.

Bit of an insult to Limardo. He's actually done enough the past few years to merit his gold.

[QEoMi752]

Remind me what weapon the fencing power houses of Norway and Venezuela got their medals in, oh of course ... the one true weapon where ranking on the day count for nowt.

Did you miss Abouelkassem beating Joppich and Cassara before narrowly losing 13:15 to Lei in the final?

[AntonayPina]

He's actually done enough the past few years to merit his gold.

He has done enough to get a medal. But put it this way - If you had to pick 3 people before the event who were going to get the medals would the 3 have been on your list? Really? I wouldn't have picked any of them to get the medals but thats just the nature of it... Going into the event the money probably would have been on Novosjolov, Grumier and Kauter as the 3 to watch and they all managed to lose their first fights.. Most other weapons at least one if not 2 of the obvious choices got into the medals (note - I am referring to medals not medal zone).

[Blahhhshsh]

yada yada yada

Is that the noise of a sabreur - ya-DA, ya-DA, ya-DA ?

[HilaryNidierer]

Quite honestly - who cares?

Unexpected results make it more interesting.

[Babposa]

Quite honestly - who cares?

Unexpected results make it more interesting.

But thats the point Gav... Big decisions have been made on the basis of predictions and perceived results..

[Abebpabeniemo]

But thats the point Gav... Big decisions have been made on the basis of predictions and perceived results..

Well, I know that. All anyone has to do is point at Epee and say "take a look". Also I think most years you would see a top seed or two go through.

Who would have predicted Abouelkassem would beat Cassara? I know I couldn't.

[9V4i8xw1]

Well, I know that. All anyone has to do is point at Epee and say "take a look"..

Yep.

Who would have predicted Abouelkassem would beat Cassara? I know I couldn't.

Nor could I. But Sheng getting a medal wasn't a surprise was it?

[tq4F7YKs]

In MS the top seeds weren't in the top 4.

Is success in epee down to luck or to some combination of talent and proper preparation? Most of you would have me believe that epee is a lottery, but from what I've seen at junior and senior level it would appear that in any given fight the fencer with the most effective technique, timing and tactics always wins.

[DariushPetresku]

You've clearly never seen Kelsey fence.

No - in all seriousness I think epee is the most level playing field of the 3 weapons, not a 'lottery' by any means. Just more open to upsets.

No-one from the top 4 made the last four in sabre, fine..that is unusual (from my viewpoint anyway): the sabreurs making the final were ranked 6, 8, 9 and 14. In the epee it was 13, 15, 20 and 47

[trettegeani]

Medal as a noun - no problem.

Medal as a verb - very reluctantly, if I must

Medal as an adjective? No - please don't - my head will explode.

Could we therefore say that LongSword has been dismembered?

If so perhaps he should change his forum name.

[siflversonemunk]

always[/B] wins.

Perhaps it has something to do with epee being a pure sport with purity of scoring i.e. The score is not subject to potentially inaccurate human interference under Right of Way rules