Modern Pentathlon at Paris 2024 Olympic Games: Men's Fencing reaction

After an exhilarating Olympic Games Fencing Ranking Round in the Men’s competition at North Paris Arena, here is a rapid round-up of athlete reaction from the Mixed Zone:

Ahmed Elgendy (EGY):

”It went very well. We’re still focusing on tomorrow’s Semi-finals and for the Finals on Saturday. I wanted to do well today in the Fencing so I can be more comfortable than I was in Tokyo.

“Actually, maybe in the first round in the Fencing, it was like 50:50, but in the middle, it went very well. And it continued to go very well. Tomorrow's the Semi-finals. Just passing the Riding, then Swimming, then the Laser Run.”

 

Pavel Svecovs (LAT):

“Yeah, I went pretty well. Today was a good result for me, 3rd position. It’s a great result for an Olympic Games. I was the last one to qualify. So I didn’t stop training after the World Championships. I started training when I came home [in case] I had a chance of going to the Games. The the European Confederation said I could compete so it was wonderful. And less pressure for me!

"For tomorrow, I have done a good preparation camp for weeks before the Olympic Games. I think I will show something. Yesterday was the first time I saw the venue in Versailles. It’s good but like I said, for us, we have come for a job. We come to see the sights maybe after, but [first] we come to compete.”

 

Woongtae Jun (KOR):

“For today, it was my third time in the Olympics and I am happy with 22 victories. But Pentathlon is five sports: Fencing, Riding, Swimming, Laser Run. It’s been very good in Paris. So many crazy stadiums. I saw the horse riding contests, it was very good. I am confident for the Semi-final, just have to make it to the Final.”

 

Valentin Prades (FRA):

”I am satisfied with 20 wins, 15 losses, I am in the Final. I would have liked to have done a little better. The last three were a little frustrating but I'm happy. I've experienced crazy feelings. It was an extraordinary audience, a lot of support, a lot of kindness.

"Having thousands of people like that who support me, as a pentathlete it is extraordinary.

"I enjoy the Olympic experience, but I am someone who stays very focused on my competition, on what I have to accomplish. Here, it's a little different of course, we want to enjoy it at home. There's a lot of support and we want to live the moment and not to hide behind.

"The audience in Versailles is going to push strong and it will help me give the best possible [support] and I hope it will make my opponents tremble."

 

Alexandre Dallenbach (SUI):

“It was a great day today. I started really well, obviously, followed the plan. At some point there was a hiccup and a few defeats. But it’s Modern Pentathlon, it’s like life. You go through hell. You just have to get back up again. It’s okay to kneel down. You just have to get back up. 

"The Olympics is something unique. It’s overwhelming. Like this arena with the atmosphere, the French people screaming and shouting, it was awesome. 

"I’ve had a look at Versailles and it looks like a gladiator's stadium. It’s huge. It’s gonna be epic!”

 

Marvin Dogue (GER):

"I got 20 victories, which is quite okay. I hoped for 22 to maybe catch a medal but I think this is maybe not possible, but we will see. In Pentathlon everything can happen but for now I will just focus on tomorrow for my Semi-final to make it through to the Final, and then we will see. 

"Until now, the Olympic experience has been amazing. Sadly our competition is close to the end [of the Games] so I couldn’t watch too many other disciplines, but I went one time to track and field. For the rest we stayed at the Village. Luckily our Final is on Saturday and not Sunday like the girls, so from Saturday evening we can discover more. 

"We have been in Versailles yesterday. It looks amazing. The facilities are great. I’m looking forward to competing there tomorrow."

 

Matteo Cicinelli (ITA):

”I'm happy. It's just a victory to be here. The atmosphere was great, amazing. I have tears now, I wanted to never finish this feeling. We were training yesterday in Versailles, so that's amazing. We’ve never competed in such a big stadium. When you’re entering the field, you have tears in your eyes.”

 

Balazs Szep (HUN):

“It was a hard day for me. But I hope that the rest of the competition will be better. Yes, I have a chance in the Laser Run. I hope I will be in the Final. It’s been a very good experience. I like this arena and the French people because they can celebrate and this is a good feeling.”

 

Fabian Liebig (GER):

“I am feeling OK because I ended up with my second-best result in Fencing this season. Even though it was negative, 17 victories to 18, I am quite happy with that. Also when you start 0-6, really bad, it’s OK-ish. Also I broke my wrist seven weeks ago so I am happy I was able to compete here. I had just fenced 2-4 times before this competition. I am happy I had no pain and was still able to make this result.

"To start 0-6, to be fair during the World Championships, when I broke my wrist, I started 0-5 so it was not as good as this but close to it, and I knew the victories would come. You just have to get into the flow. I was happy when I got my first touch. Now, OK, I start to fight back.

"So far I’m quite happy. I had only been in Tokyo. This is my second Olympics and to compare it, of course, here is much more fun. To have this audience is awesome, especially for our sport where usually not that many people come to support. For the French who were cheering their people, it was so noisy sometimes we couldn’t hear anything. Even the judges were hard to understand. When the trainer gave you any advice you didn’t hear it, so it was really great!”

Emiliano Hernandez (MEX):

“Good. It was a tough start. The Olympic pressure is different but in the end we had a good competition. We went yesterday to Versailles for the training, the general training but it was be amazing with all the people [there].”

 

Jean-Baptiste Mourcia (FRA):

“I got 16 wins. It's a little disappointing even though all year I've done almost only 15 in the World Cups, so it's a touch better. I wanted to stand out a little bit on this event, to do a little better than what I've done all season. I just need to do a little better.

"I don't see it as a purpose, my goal was not just to make it to the Olympic Games, it's to give everything there, I will continue to give everything.

"The crowd were exceptional. We are not too used to that in Pentathlon. The support we French had was unbelievable. This Fencing round was long, three hours, but the crowd encouraged us until the end. It clearly makes a difference.

"With a lot of public support, I hope for good Riding, good Swimming and a good Final."

Joseph Choong (GBR):

“Obviously I’m really disappointed. I’m reigning Olympic champion and I fully believed that I would be able to go and defend that title, at least competing for a medal. I’ve had a tough year in terms of injuries. I’ve not completed a single competition really. But I’ve had a really good build-up to here and I thought physically that I was going to be capable of being where I wanted to be. But I think [today] just shows that in Pentathlon from a mental point of view, you have got to be switched on and ready to compete. I’ve spoken before in interviews about the disappointment of having that goal of competing with my girlfriend Liv, and I just feel like from a mental side of things I’ve not been happy with a lot of things behind the scenes. We’ll obviously go away and review that after this but today has been really tough to take. Gutted. 

“No injury. As I said, I thought physically I was in a really good place but I was getting cramp really early on, which was obviously not ideal. It makes it much tougher to focus on what you’re trying to do. Again that’s something we will review and have some quite frank conversations behind the scenes.”

 

Csaba Bohm (HUN):

“I’m disappointed. I tried everything. I don’t know what will be my solution to improve my Fencing. I’m going to give everything I have to be in the Final.”