The president of the French Fencing Federation (FFE), Bruno Gares, resigned on Friday, the FFE announced in a press release, continuing months of turmoil in French fencing. “The Federal Bureau of the FFE met today. Bruno Gares, the president of the Federation, announced his decision to end all of his federal mandates for personal reasons,” indicates the Federation.
Less than ten months before the Paris 2024 Olympics, one of the sports with the highest number of French medals is going through turbulence: the resignation of the president comes after the departure of national technical director Virginie Thobor in January and two changes at the head men’s saber and women’s foil. At the head of the sabreurs, Vincent Anstett was disembarked in the spring while Lionel Plumenail left his position as national coach of the French foilists after the World Championships this summer.
The fate of Hugues Obry at the head of the men’s epee was in suspense following heated debriefs between him and his shooters after the Worlds, a “real break” described a close friend of the actors. But final meetings in which the National Sports Agency (ANS) took part on Thursday decided in favor of its continuation, according to one of the participants.
The federal office of the FFE must now appoint an interim president, perhaps as early as Friday. At the start of the year, a report was made to the Ministry’s sports department concerning dysfunctions linked to the president of the French Fencing Federation, AFP learned from a source close to the matter. A general inspection mission launched in March was still underway in mid-September.