WIREDGOV

It’s been hailed as a vital next step for fencing in Britain –  and yesterday saw British Fencing move from Lee Valley to a new Elite Training Centre in a state-of-the-art venue in Hendon.

The brand new facility is made possible by funding from Sport England and UK Sport – and is vital to British Fencing’s goal of developing World Class fencers in a sustainable programme.

“Moving to this new dedicated centre is very exciting.  Everyone is really happy and we couldn’t ask for better facilities,” says Marcus Mepstead, an athlete on the British Fencing World Class Programme currently preparing for the European Championships next week.

Formally opened by Secretary of State for Sport, John Whittingdale, earlier on yesterday, British Fencing has worked with its partner Leon Paul to create exclusive facilities for its World Class Programme fencers to train. 

The top-class facilities include a medical treatment room, dedicated Strength & Conditioning facilities, a consultation room as well as a new meeting room to enable instant athlete feedback and performance reviews.

Sport England Chair, Nick Bitel, said: “Providing the right training environment for our athletes so they can be competitive on the international stage is vital.

Thanks to our strong partnership with UK Sport to develop a network of elite training centres in England, we have been able to create a truly fantastic facility for our elite and up and coming fencing athletes to thrive.”