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About Challenge Bernadotte

Challenge Bernadotte attracts the world's best men's épée fencers to Stockholm once a year. The 2010 edition of the competition took place on 5-7 March.

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Follow the competition live!

Live results

The world‘s best fencers are on their way to Stockholm!

PRESS RELEASE 2010-02-24 -- Next weekend, March 5-7, the very best men‘s epee fencers convene in Stockholm, Sweden to compete for the 2010 Challenge Bernadotte / Stockholm Grand Prix. The current world number one ranked fencer, Gauthier Grumier from France will be there as will the reigning world- and Olympic champions Anton Adeev, Russia, and Matteo Tagliariol, Italy, spearheading what is most likely the strongest rooster ever in men‘s epee.

(Svensk version i PDF-format.)

Challenge Bernadotte is also an important opportunity for the Swedish fencers to measure up against top opposition. In total, at least 12 Swedes will start. One of several interesting names is Robin Kase from Djurgården Fencing in Stockholm. Only 17 years young, Robin is one of the up-and-coming young Swedish fencers. Last year he impressed with a silver medal at the Cadet World Championships and this is his first opportunity to try out against the very best seniors.

Challenge Bernadotte is one of only three competitions during this season with a Grand Prix status, which among other things means double world cup points. Since its initiation in 2004 the competition has each year had full participation from the highest ranked fencers. With the final entries now coming in, this year’s event is gearing up to be at least as strong as previous years and in total attract around 180 fencers. On Friday, March 5, the fencers start off with a round of poules (round-robin in groups of 7 fencers) which determine who will qualify for Saturdays tableau of 64. From there, the fencers fight in direct elimination matches first to 15 hits and where each match is for advancement or elimination. The 16 highest ranked fencers are directly qualified for the fencing on Saturday. At 4.30pm (CET) the semifinals start and the best four fencers fight for the trophy.

The venue for the competition is Eriksdalshallen, on Ringvägen 70, Södermalm, Stockholm.

Schedule (CET / GMT+1)

Friday 8.00am – 6.30pm Round of poules, qualification for Saturday

Saturday 8.00am – 1.30pm Direct elimination from 64 fencers

2.50pm Quarter finals

4.30pm Semifinals and final

Sunday 8.00am – 4.00pm World cup for national teams

              11:30am                                Quarter finals
1:00pm                                  Semifinals
2:20pm                                 Bronze match and final

Streaming video live and results in real time

At the Challenge Bernadotte website– www.challengebernadotte.org – information will continuously be published ahead of and during the competition. New this year is that streaming video will be available from four pistes. This means that several of the poules and all matches from the round of 64 will be possible to watch live. The results will also be available in real time, hit-by-hit. These services can be accessed from www.challengebernadotte.org.

Press images are available free of charge

History

The history of this competition goes back to ’Bernadottepokalen’, which started in 1977 and was from the beginning a ranking tournament for the men’s epee world championship. The competition was set up by the club Djurgården Fencing and its name was set to honor the club president during this entire period, Count Oscar Bernadotte af Wisborg. His Majesty Carl Gustaf, King of Sweden in 1999 donated the challenges price made in silver on a base of cherry wood from the Drottningholm Royal Gardens.

For further information, please contact:

Peter Ejemyr

ejemyr@fencing.se

+46 733-611000

Pierre Thullberg

pierre@fencing.se

+46 706-831883

Resources:

Competition website:

www.challengebernadotte.org

(with links to live video and real time results)

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