Post by schlager7 on Mar 10, 2006 10:20:56 GMT -6
Nobody take this the wrong way, but I saw the following post on Fencing Net as part of a thread on the topic of tournaments that let A-classified fencers fence for free. Since the post drew attention to the higher-classified fencers in our section, I feel justified in reproducing it here. The author uses the name Be_Like_Water:
I am an epee fencer in the SW section, in which there are about 500 million A-rated fencers; needless to say, there will be a tournout of 15 people at some dinky little tournament that will end up being an A2 with crappy fencers, thus entrenching the system of ratings inflation. Some A is pissing away his/her bouts because he didn't pay for the tournament and thus doesn't care how he/she does and lets some goober who can't hold up his/her weapon get a B rating. Unfortunately I've seen this scenario happen many a time. The SW "A" seems to me to be a laughingstock. That having been said, there are some true "A" fencers, but not nearly as many as the ratings reflect. I think depending on the section, letting A's fence for free might be beneficial, but in my section it's completely ridiculous because about 60% of each event gets to fence for free.
To which JEC posted the following:
There are now 53 A's in Epee within the SW section to be precise (but 8 of them are away in college). The last A06, awarded today, was earned by a B06 fencer from Houston (ALL) who beat 4 A's to earned it. Those A's included: two members of the USA national teams and a recent Div.I-A champion for 2 years in a row. Not an easy task. We're 2 months into the year, and we already have 22 A06 in the section, with quite a few earned at national competitions. Rating inflation does occur, but I would not laugh or take lightly ANY of the A's in our section.
Thoughts? Reactions?
I am an epee fencer in the SW section, in which there are about 500 million A-rated fencers; needless to say, there will be a tournout of 15 people at some dinky little tournament that will end up being an A2 with crappy fencers, thus entrenching the system of ratings inflation. Some A is pissing away his/her bouts because he didn't pay for the tournament and thus doesn't care how he/she does and lets some goober who can't hold up his/her weapon get a B rating. Unfortunately I've seen this scenario happen many a time. The SW "A" seems to me to be a laughingstock. That having been said, there are some true "A" fencers, but not nearly as many as the ratings reflect. I think depending on the section, letting A's fence for free might be beneficial, but in my section it's completely ridiculous because about 60% of each event gets to fence for free.
To which JEC posted the following:
There are now 53 A's in Epee within the SW section to be precise (but 8 of them are away in college). The last A06, awarded today, was earned by a B06 fencer from Houston (ALL) who beat 4 A's to earned it. Those A's included: two members of the USA national teams and a recent Div.I-A champion for 2 years in a row. Not an easy task. We're 2 months into the year, and we already have 22 A06 in the section, with quite a few earned at national competitions. Rating inflation does occur, but I would not laugh or take lightly ANY of the A's in our section.
Thoughts? Reactions?