This comes from a posting to Mariel Zagunis’ Facebook Page in which she highlights that many world cup events are held in venues where fencing strips are laid out directly on hard flooring (concrete, marble, etc.) which can cause injuries to the lower back and knees.
This isn’t a complaint limited to fencing as other sports have had issues with the playing fields they have to put up with. (The US Women’s Soccer team canceled a match due to a poor field and has protested being made to play on turf fields.)
In here post she closes with:
“We are serious athletes who prepare in every way possible to perform at the highest level. But no one can prepare for this, and it is a detriment to our health and safety. Please treat us like the professionals we are and stop allowing this to happen!”
According to the FIE rule for the pistes, the metallic strips cannot be placed directly on hard flooring, but the rule does not cover the now popular non-metallic conductive pistes!
The FIE rules m.57.5 .d – Pistes made of metallic mesh must never be placed directly on a floor of reinforce concrete or tiles.
Gennady Tyshler suggested that the athletes committee propose a rule change:
Proposal must be made by athletes committee to add – metallic mesh “and conductive pistes made …. “
Here’s the posting from Mariel Zagunis’ page:
