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PALATINATE Tuesday 9th November 2010
Whatever your game, get into it at palatinate.org.uk
Sport
Fencers give fair fight against northern counterparts QUIN MURRAY
Joel Butler
“Unlucky, close, instructive”. Durham University fencer James Dix succinctly described the tight defeat of the Men’s A team to a talented and combative Manchester side. Mistakes had been made in the team order for the opening weapon, and mistakes on the piste against unsympathetic opponents culminated in a tight but stirring defeat for Durham’s men. Despite shows of individual spirit and ability, the overall performance was not enough to overcome Manchester, whose team included GB foilist Jason Shillingford. Tom Miller, a Commonwealth Games fencer for the Bailiwick of Guernsey, put in a particularly strong performance for Durham, fencing with verve and precision to end with an indicator of 4 points in foil, but this could not counter the consistency of Shillingford and company, who led by six points at the conclusion of foil. This advantage came as much through Durham confusing their own tactics as the skill of their opponents. A team captain, Simeon Quigg, had not intended to fence the opening and closing bouts, but mistakes had been made in naming the order. Despite a concerted effort from the team, this error could not be surmounted against unforgiving competitors. The team were obviously disappointed with themselves for making avoidable errors, but this is at least a learning experience going into the next match. Both sabre and foil followed similar patterns, with Durham suffering narrow defeats across both weapons. This was particularly galling in sabre, after another fine performance from Tom Miller – and a strong overall score from the team – was undone in the last bout. Dean Protheroe lost ten points without reply to Jason Shillingford in the final duel to turn a 40-35 advantage into a 40-45 defeat. Durham did manage to recoup some points in epée, winning by six points. A consistent show of fencing saw the team win all but one bout, with club captain Rowan Edmondson, and Braxton Worsham netting positive scores. Braxton was particularly impressive, finishing with the highest indicator of any Durham fencer, +9. Durham’s women, however, did manage to taste success, defeating Edinburgh by 117 to 105. The majority of this advantage came
Richard Lowe-Lauri
The youngest driver who will ever race the full Nurburgring in a single-seater, James Birch is Durham’s very own motorsports prodigy. Having raced cars of all kinds since the age of nine, and with a mass of international championship titles under his belt, Birch’s dream of becoming the next Jenson Button is – compared to most – very real indeed. Best achievement of your sporting career so far? Winning the European Volkswagen Championship last year. I’m at the stage where I’m either going to make it professionally or I’m not. My win in Europe meant Volkswagen offered me a drive with Formula Three as their factory driver, and they’re certainly the team to be with at the moment.
Mixed emotions: the men’s side were out-muscled by Manchester, whilst the women triumphed over Edinburgh with 12 points to spare
from a commanding victory in sabre, arguably the team’s strongest weapon. Durham ran rampant throughout this part of the match, not losing a single sabre bout and securing no less than three 5-0 victories, finishing with a 30-point advantage over their opponents. This advantage stood the women in good stead for the other weapons, although they were clearly determined not to rest on their laurels. When Helen James failed to score a point in her first epée bout, Kira Roberts was substituted in for the remainder of the weapon, finishing with a neutral
indicator rather than a negative. Commonwealth Fencing Federation champion Kira was instrumental throughout the match, scoring two 5-0 victories in sabre and hauling back 11 points in a single bout as DUFC’s women began to struggle in foil. Spurred on by their experienced and communicative coach, Professor Laszlo Jakab, Durham women maintained their advantage to the end, losing epée and foil only narrowly and winning by a comfortable 12 points. Although they could not triumph across all weapons, the ladies managed to build upon their brilliant work in sabre by
maintaining close chase of their opponents across epée and foil. These results leave Durham Men’s 1st team 4th in the BUCS Men’s Fencing Northern Premier, and Durham Women top of the equivalent female league. Durham’s women will be looking to consolidate their position at the top of the table while the men are still looking for their first win. DUFC Men’s 2nd team were also in action on Wednesday, and they got their BUCS Northern Conference Men’s Division 2B campaign off to a winning start with a 127117 victory over York 2nds.
Future bright for badminton thanks to new initiatives Michael Piggford & Juliet Carlisle
Major new developments in badminton at Durham University have seen the sport become widely accessible to players of all standards. The existing elite University Squad has been working in partnership with BADMINTON England’s new regional development officer to combine all areas of badminton in the University. From college players, to staff members, to purely social participants, there is now a place for all abilities to enjoy this Olympic sport. With 2012 just around the corner, BADMINTON England is focused on increasing adult participation, particularly for 16 to 19 year olds. This partnership with Durham University is the perfect vehicle to reach this target. The University Badminton club is made up of an elite squad of 36 performance athletes, which this year has seen the new addition of a development squad. Two women’s and two men’s teams compete in the BUCS leagues throughout the season, with Women’s 1 battling it out in the Northern Premiership against some of the best teams in the country. They are currently ranked in the top 8 teams nationally and notched up
James Birch talks booze, Button and Top Gear
an impressive draw against Loughborough last week. The newly formed development cell runs on a Saturday morning down at Maiden Castle between 10am and 12pm. The scheme, co-ordinated by BADMINTON England qualified student coaches, launched with great success on October 23rd and provides University members with access to affordable, structured coaching sessions. Acting as a stepping stone for progression into the elite squad, the training is open to anyone wishing to play badminton at a higher level. College badminton is now administrated by the University Badminton Club, which has overseen a vast improvement in the relationship between the elite squad and players at college level. This, combined with the development squad, has allowed for greater visibility of college players and the identification of individuals with the potential to move into the elite set-up. The race has begun to see who the winners of the 2010-2011 season will be; can Josephine Butler A snatch the men’s premiership league? Will a new champion emerge in the Mixed Knockout competition? Watch this space! With colleges able
to access coaching and practice time at Freeman’s Quay, who knows what this new season will bring? Not only have badminton opportunities improved for students, but it is one of three sports which can be accessed by Durham University staff. With the improved facilities at Maiden Castle, the Durham University Staff Badminton Club has opened its doors to postgraduates and extended friends and family.
“Badminton at Durham is now widely accessible to players of all levels” Playing on a Tuesday night, 8pm -10pm, the club is run by willing staff members and is now becoming more involved in local badminton tournament opportunities through work with BADMINTON England. ‘No Strings Badminton’ is the final project, launched at Queen’s Campus Sports Centre. This pay and play opportunity is a fresh new badminton initiative, open to all, with no strings attached.
Whether you come every week or once a month, with no membership fees and a guaranteed playing partner at every session, No Strings makes it easy to grab some court time and make some new friends. This session takes place every Tuesday 5pm - 7pm, with all equipment provided. There is no doubt that the combination of all these new developments has created an environment where everyone can find a place to get involved. Closer connections between the elite squad and all other players within the University will help to develop the sport as a whole, improving the progression of players through the college system towards competing at University level. With quality coaching for all on offer for the first time, we can expect to see some big strides forward both in participation numbers and in the quality of badminton in Durham. If you would like any further information please contact Juliet Carlisle, President of Durham University Badminton Club at j.r.carlisle@durham.ac.uk, or Rachel Frobisher, Badminton England Regional Officer at rachelfrobisher@badmintonengland. co.uk.
How do you juggle your sporting commitments with your degree? I’m quite lucky because most races take place in the summer. But even during term time when I’m away test-driving a car there are long periods when there’s nothing to do, so I always take some work with me. Worst thing about motorsport? The fact I’m probably going to end up deaf when I’m older! When I’m in the car I have to wear a special kind of earplug that moulds to my ear, but they’re really uncomfortable and I hate the mute sensation. If I don’t wear them, though, my ears end up ringing for days! As a race driver, what’s your approach towards alcohol? I shouldn’t drink at all, but it’s very hard at university, where peer pressure is rife. As a rule, I do my best to keep fit, spending 5-6 hours a week in the gym. I’m also club captain of Hatfield Football Club this year, which is another thing I have to juggle! Where do you see yourself in five years time? Obviously I’d love to be the best. That’s every driver’s dream. But I need to be realistic: there are people out there who don’t go to university, training every hour of the day. Ultimately, if I can just make a career driving a car for the rest of my life that’d be great. I’m not fussed about making millions. So fancy yourself as the next Stig? Who wouldn’t want to be the next Stig? It’d be a brilliant job! Who’s your money on to win this year’s F1 World Championship? I’d like Weber to win, but I think Alonso has got the momentum behind him now. It’s been a very good championship. Hamilton or Button? Button. By sheer coincidence my helment looks just like Button’s, with my initials, ‘JB’, across the side. Mechanics always like to make a joke about it! What car do you drive off the track? Ford Fiesta Zetec. 1.25. Silver, too!