Fencing cuts a dash with spectacular Olympic show

PARIS: From literary heroes D’Artagnan to Cyrano de Bergerac, French authors have treated readers round the globe to the cut and thrust of swordplay -- and centuries later it has lost nothing in its art in a spectacular fencing show at the Paris Games.

The big names got swept up in the phenomenal atmosphere, from US First Lady Jill Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron and Rolling Stones legendary lead singer Mick Jagger, who passed by the day after he turned 81.

Alexandre Dumas -- the son of one of Napoleon’s generals -- gave the world the magic of the Three Musketeers, but in their Olympic garb the fencers are more reminiscent of another of his creations, the Man in the Iron Mask. Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac was a duelist himself, and he would have found himself at home at the magnificent venue of the Grand Palais.

Original thinking by the fencing competition organisers came up with the brilliant idea of introducing the semi-finalists and finalists from the impressive balcony overlooking the main hall. Swaggering down the grand staircase stirred the 9,000 spectators up into a right old lather, especially with two French finalists.

As the fencers descended the music for the Can Can rang out, plus spontaneous renditions of the rousing French national anthem La Marseillaise. They did not disappoint, playing their role to the full -- masked emotions until they whipped off the visor.

Far from wooden actors, some might say they hammed it up in the style of famed horror film actors Boris Karloff and Christopher Lee.

Dumas was never very far away from French epee ace Yannick Borel, having been the fencing expert brought in for the most recent version of “The Three Musketeers” and its sequel “The Three Musketeers: Milady”.

The 35-year-old had a bit of all four theatrical Musketeers -- D’Artagnan, Athos, Porthos and Aramis -- about his celebrations as he whipped off the mask. Unfortunately, he lacked the killer touch they possessed and was unable to give the crowd their coup de grace in the final, going down to a canny Japanese opponent in Koki Kano.

The old adage about history only remembers the winners may ring true -- but try telling that to bronze medal winners, Italian sabre specialist Luigi Samele and Egyptian epee artist Mohamed Elsayed.

Samele, the boyfriend of Ukrainian fencing star Olga Kharlan, fell to the ground, and beat his chest as tears welled in his eyes as the 37-year-old kissed the head of his opponent, Egypt’s Ziad Elsissy.

Elsayed may have been frustrating to watch with his constant histrionics, but his running along the piste and jumping off it when he took bronze was worth the price of the spectators tickets.

However, those cameos were nothing compared to the show stealing performance of the gigantic Georgian world number one in men’s sabre, Sandro Bazadze, after he lost 15-14 in the round of 16. “It’s shameful, it’s a shame!” he yelled at match referee Vanesa Chichon.