I was really looking forward to photographing the fencing as the footage on TV made it look dramatic with the high contrast lighting. With a restriction on photographic gear not exceeding 30 cm in length, I had the dilemma of deciding whether I went with my more powerful 28 – 300mm zoom or due to the low lighting my 70 -200mm F2.8 lens and its better low light options. As I had no idea of where I would be sitting in relation to the action I took both, but used the 70 – 200mm most, as the action was quite close to my seating position. Also luckily for me team GB were placed on the piste closest to me for all of their matches.
The fencing action is quite fast and furious at times, so it was difficult to follow the scoring in real time. Replays on TV screens dotted around the piste helped you to see how the scoring was achieved. I was also kept informed of the finer points of the sport by the regular comments and the explanations of an experienced member of a fencing club, sitting behind me, to his other club members.
The atmosphere was really good as four pistes were in action simultaneously with the men’s team event, so sound of support for all nations involved were coming from all directions. French fans in front of me?were shouting for a match the other side of the arena, Germans for the next piste down from the one in front of us and of course GB fans were shouting out for team GB in front of my seating area. Team GB were never going to win a gold, but gave Italy, the favourites, a major scare by nearly beating them in a very close match. They then went on to trash France, normally a very good team who were having a mare in the competition as a whole, to end up coming in fifth after their final match. Not bad for a team that had to play an extra play off match to enter the final phase of the team competition.
?
Fencing was a good way to end my Olympic experience. I would have liked to spend some time watching the Paralympics as well, but I needed to refocus on work and get back to the grindstone. Two weekends of indulging in the Olympics had shown a city I lived in for 13 years in a new light. I am pround of London. I am proud of my country, the athletes and the people of Great Britain. As Lord Coe stated – Britain, we did it and we did it well!