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French coach Obry to take charge of Chinese epee team

Xinhua, August 30, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Olympic title-winning coach of French men's epee team Hugues Obry will take charge of the Chinese national side in a week, local media reported on Tuesday.

"Starting next Monday, the French national coach Hugues Obry will wear the tracksuit of the Chinese team. There, he will be in charge of the men's and women's epee team. Objective: a gold at the 2020 Olympics," read a report on L'Equipe website released on Monday evening.

"It's official!" the 43-year-old told Tuesday's edition of the sports daily after he had announced in L'Equipe columns on July 19 his wish to leave his post after the Rio Games.

Obry, who led the French men's epee side to a team gold medal and an individual bronze with Gauthier Grumier in Rio earlier this month, will fly to China on September 5 to begin a coaching term off four years in the place of Daniel Levavasseur.

"It's hard to work away from my family, but what a challenge and what an experience (to work in China)! And there, I would really head of project," he said, referring to the "weird" situation he faced with the French fencing federation after failing to claim a medal in London 2012.

"The president (of the french federation, Isabelle Lamour) only wanted to talk to me after we won the team gold. She wanted to discuss whether I could stay but with nothing to offer," said Obry.

"In Rio, the Chinese officials were the first to congratulate me for the gold medal I obtained with France," he added.

China won the women's epee team gold in the 2012 London Olympic Games, as well as the world championships title three years later, before settling for a team silver and an individual bronze under Levavasseur, 69, who brought the side back to world No. 1.

"Daniel has resulted so good so far with the Chinese team. He introduced me to the Chinese officials and he will continue to work close with us. There is no reason to break something that has worked very well for six years," said Obry.

"Now I'm going to learn Chinese. A translator is not enough. To 'coach' effectively, I need to talk directly to the swornmen and swornwomen. I need to express through voice, and the intonations of voice," he added. Endit