The fencing world is expanding. It is pushing its walls. The Paris 2024 Olympic Games illustrated this in the sublime setting of the Grand Palais, with 53 countries involved, including several for the first time, then 13 nations from four continents appearing in the medal table. The veterans world championships, held from October 11 to 17 in the United Arab Emirates, further exaggerated the issue.

The venue, first of all. Grandiose. The Hamdan sports complex in Dubai, an aquatic center with variable geometry, transformed for the occasion into a vast room entirely dedicated to the event. No fewer than thirty tracks, including six reserved for training. The ultra-modern equipment had already been used for the cadet and junior world championships in 2022. It had won over all the participants. Its quality, and the resources deployed by the local organizers, convinced once again this year those involved in the veteran world championships.

Participation, now. Massive. And even more than that: historic. In Dubai, the competition recorded the presence of 859 fencers aged 50 or over, from 62 countries. The 2024 edition has shown a 34,5% increase in the number of athletes entered, and a 38,1% increase in the number of countries represented, compared to the 2023 Veterans Worlds in Daytona, Florida.

When it came time to count, the United States dominated the competition. Arriving in Dubai with the largest delegation of all the countries present, the Americans left with 26 medals (9 gold, 4 silver and 13 bronze). They were ahead of the Germans (11 medals including 4 titles) and the French (12 medals including 3 titles). Italy and Great Britain completed the top 5.

The reason for the success of a healthy event? Multiple. "Dubai is a tourist destination, especially at this time of year, when the heat is very bearable, suggests Ziad Feriani, one of the competition managers at the International Fencing Federation (FIE). Veterans often travel with their families. They come for the competition, but also to visit or have fun. They like to combine business with pleasure. » The local organizers took this into account. By multiplying the competition tracks, and with them the event referees, they were able to offer a program where the events finished each day in the middle of the afternoon. Early enough to leave time for the fencers to enjoy Dubai with family or friends.

Another explanation: the quality of the organization. In Dubai, the United Arab Emirates hosted the Veteran World Championships without skimping on the means. Reception, transport, accommodation, competition and training site… “A flawless performance,” sums up Ziad Feriani. With two world championships in just three years, and an annual stage of the World Cup, Dubai is establishing itself as a new stronghold of international fencing. The Gulf megalopolis will probably not stop there. It is a candidate to host the senior world championships in 2027.

Finally, the success of the 2024 Veterans World Championships can also be explained by the growing popularity of the competition among those aged 50 and over. Ziad Feriani reminds it: "Participation among veterans is now often equal to that of the senior world championships. It is constantly increasing, especially among women. And the phenomenon is global. Asia is increasingly represented (two medals for Japan). In Dubai, Africa was present with Tunisian and Egyptian fencers. The world event is increasingly coveted by countries."

The future is expected to further strengthen the trend. The FIE's decision to add a new age category in all three weapons – 40/49 years – from the 2025 edition in Tunis, will certainly see participation in the world championships reach a new level. Estimates predict the presence in the Tunisian capital of 1100 to 1200 competitors.

Initiated by the FIE Veterans Commission, the idea was validated by the body's last congress in November 2023. It will be tested next year in Tunis, with every chance of becoming a permanent fixture in the landscape. Advantage: bridging the 10 or 15 years gap, or even a little more, between the end of a competitive career in the senior category and entry into the veteran category.