Fencing-Coached by French maestros, Japan knock out France in men's foil at Paris Games

PARIS : Japan, coached by former French Olympians, knocked out France in the semi-finals of the men's foil team event at the Paris Games on Sunday, winning 45-37 against the local favourites.

It was no ordinary situation for French fencers Enzo Lefort and Maxime Pauty, as the man coaching their opponents happened to be Erwann Le Pechoux, with whom they had won a gold medal in the event at the Tokyo Games in 2021.

"I'm just doing my job, let's not forget that my first choice was to stay in France," Le Pechoux told reporters. "I was told that I wasn't qualified enough, and another team trusted me.

"I wish the French the best, but I'm very happy for the Japanese, we've worked hard and they deserve it."

Japan will face Italy in the final.

Le Pechoux is one of three French 'maitres d'armes' or maestros, as coaches are called in fencing, to work with Japan's fencing team.

After Tokyo, Le Pechoux joined Franck Boidin, a former France foil coach who has worked with Japanese foil fencers since 2017.

Frenchman Jerome Guth has also started coaching Japan's sabre fencers since Tokyo.

"Japan's strategy is to use foreign expertise, and what is really interesting and that I greatly appreciate there is that they let us work in peace," said Boidin, alluding to dissent that took place within the French fencing federation in the year leading up to the Paris Games.

"They let us work, they let us make choices, it’s a working atmosphere that is much more serene," he added.

'BIT PECULIAR'

Asked before the semi-finals whether he was nervous about facing his former team, Boidin said it was not the first time Japan were fencing against France.

"But it's true that in this context it's going to be a little bit peculiar, we're expecting a big match, especially