Some U.S. fencers have spoken to international officials over concerns that selection for the men's saber team for this summer's Paris Olympics could be influenced by biased judging or possible match manipulation in favor of other Americans. I'm calling for an investigation.
USA Today Sports has received a copy of a Feb. 14 letter sent by Global Athlete Executive Director Rob Koehler to Emmanuel Kasiadakis, interim president of the International Fencing Federation (FIE), on behalf of approximately six fencers. I got it.
Koehler sent the letter to Global Athletes, an international athlete advocacy group, where fencers feared retaliation.
In his letter, Koehler noted that in recent matches, Bulgarian referees have given calls that “consistently appear to favor the American fencer.”
“These events raise serious concerns regarding the fairness and equity of the competition in question,” Koehler wrote. “With Olympic qualification at stake, we ask that these allegations be investigated to ensure that legitimate fencers have the opportunity to participate in the 2024 Olympics.”
There is no evidence of the alleged cheating, nor is there any evidence that the fencers knew about the cheating. But Koehler said any allegations that question the integrity of the sport should be investigated, especially when points earned in games help determine the U.S. Olympic team. Ta.
USA Fencing agreed. In a statement to USA TODAY Sports, CEO Phil Andrews said USA Fencing has launched an independent investigation “regarding recent saber match manipulation allegations.”
Mr Andrews said: “We take these allegations seriously and this comprehensive investigation seeks to address the concerns raised and uncover the truth.” “We remain steadfast in our dedication to transparency and fairness, as well as our commitment and responsibility to the entire U.S. fencing community. A summary of our findings and subsequent actions will be shared once the investigation is complete. ”
Koehler said Wednesday that the FIE has not responded to his letter. He has now sent a direct follow-up to Kit McConnell, the International Olympic Committee's sports director, who copied his original letter.
International Fencing and the IOC did not respond to requests for comment from USA TODAY Sports.
“I don't really trust international federations to react or take action on athlete complaints. But I do want to defend them as much as possible to make sure they take action and the situation is investigated. We look forward to assisting,” Koehler told USA TODAY Sports.
“When you see athletes coming forward with accusations, it's not something that's done lightly,” Koehler added. “And once that's over, we need to take it seriously.”
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Koehler's letter reflected concerns that fencers and fencing fans have been raising online for months. Specifically, it is unusual for some fencers to repeatedly draw the same referee. At least four referees are said to have made questionable calls that benefited two U.S. players and players from Uzbekistan and Kuwait.
Although there is no hard evidence of the alleged wrongdoing, many liken the decision to a questionable call in figure skating under the old 6.0 scoring system. Behind-the-scenes deals that benefit particular skaters or countries were an open secret in the skating world until a Salt Lake City Olympic pairs referee admitted she was pressured to “vote a certain way.” The prank was not accepted.
In fencing, athletes earn points by “touches,” or blows to the opponent's body. Although fencing is trying to improve the objectivity of decisions through electronic scoring, it is still up to the referee to determine which fighter had priority or was attacking, and who will score in the case of simultaneous touches. be.
Given the speed of the sport, there's always a chance those decisions will be wrong. But the concern is that some calls are more than just human error.
This issue is of particular concern to U.S. fencers because it could affect the Olympic team.
The four players who earn the most points in domestic and international competitions will be selected to represent Paris. After the final World Cup and domestic events, the team name will be decided next month.
“Unless there is an investigation into possible or suspected wrongdoing, the status quo will not change,” Koehler said. “And athletes who compete fairly are losing out because of possible or suspected match-fixing in their competitions.
“Obviously we have to consider the evidence that is being presented.”
