1910 Lille international women's fencing tournament
| 1910 Lille international women's fencing tournament | |
|---|---|
| Location | Lille, France |
| Dates | June 1910 |
| Nations | ≥2 |
The 1910 Lille international women's fencing tournament was an international women's foil fencing competition that took place in Lille, France in late June 1910. It was one of the earliest women's international fencing cometition in history.
Background
[change | change source]While fencing was already practiced by women during the 19th century,[1] fencing was in this era a male-dominated sport.[2] This fencing competition was one of the earliest international fencing competition in the history of women's fencing, after the 1910 England–Belgium women's fencing competition three months earlier in 1910.[3]
Tournament
[change | change source]On 25 June 1910 it was announced that the Verbrugge Fencing Hall from Antwerp, Belgium would send a delegation of fencers of the Ladies Fencing Club to participate in the tournament. These Belgian fencers were Marthe Pungs and Leni Preetorius.[4]
The competition was attended by among others the French minister of War Jean Brun and notables of the French Army.[5]
Belgian Marthe Pungs finished second ahead of Belgian Leni Preetorius who finished third.[6]
After the competition an assault of Belgian fencers Marthe Pungs and Leni Preetorius was organized.[5]
Responses
[change | change source]The event was reported positively in the Belgian media. The Belgian fencers were described as "charming" and "sympathetic". The style of the two Belgian women was praised.[5] A part Fernand Lenoir wrote for Le Matin:[6]
“Their correctness of used weapons was admired by all and earned them congratulations from the Minister of War and the notables of the French army, especially after the assault organized in their honor where the two sympathetic sportswomen fought together.”
Legacy
[change | change source]Others international women's fencing meetings were organized in the following years in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. These international fencing meetings contributed to the progress of women's fencing and closing the gap between women's fencing and men's fencing.[7] As a result women's fencing was introduced in 1924 at the Summer Olympics.[2]
References
[change | change source]- ↑ Bergès, Alexandre (1896). Désirée Benoist (ed.). L'Escrime et la femme (in French). Paris – via Bibliothèque nationale de France.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 Terret, Thierry; Ottogalli-Mazzacavallo, Cécile (7 March 2012). "Women in Weapon Land: The Rise of International Women's Fencing". The International Journal of the History of Sport. 29 (2: Sport and the Emancipation of European Women: the Struggle for Self-fulfilment): 286–301.
- ↑ "Escrime". Le Matin (in French). 25 March 1910. p. 3. Retrieved 18 January 2025 – via BelgicaPress.
- ↑ "Escrime". Le Matin (in French). 25 June 1910. p. 3. Retrieved 18 January 2025 – via BelgicaPress.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Anvers". L’Indépendance Belge (in French). 7 July 1910. p. 4. Retrieved 18 January 2025 – via BelgicaPress.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lenoir, Fernand (30 June 1910). "Escrime". Le Matin (in French). p. 4. Retrieved 18 January 2025 – via BelgicaPress.
- ↑ "Anvers". L'Indépendance Belge (in French). 6 January 1912. p. 3. Retrieved 18 January 2025 – via BelgicaPress.