PARIS (Reuters) - 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 with the public that scares us a little."
The partisan Grand Palais crowd cheered France loudly throughout the bout, seemingly giving the French fencers the stamina to equalise after being led at first.
But the cheering was not enough and Japan quickly recovered and took over the match again.
"At one point we got a little freaked out, but luckily they immediately managed to turn the tide," Le Pechoux said of Japan.
"They went back to doing what they were doing well at first, and that's what made the difference."
"(Japan) is a federation that has sought to structure itself for several years, and I think that the results prove them right," said Boidin.
The country has won four fencing medals in the Paris Games alone, which was more than ever before, as Japan had an overall total of three Olympic fencing medals previously.
(Reporting by Juliette Jabkhiro; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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