Fencing Canada – The last of the FIE direct qualification events took place this weekend in Seoul with both men’s and women’s sabre taking part in a Grand Prix event.

Joseph Polossifakis (Laval, QC) came into the event in qualification contention and succeeded in maintaining his position by finishing 39^th in this important last event.  Polossifakis won five of his six poule bouts Friday which gave him a direct qualification to the 64’s on Saturday. He lost 15-11 to South Korean Hanson Ha which gave him the 39^th place finish.

Polossifakis, who was riddled with a series of injuries in the qualification process, noted that qualifying is, “something very special for me, especially given the circumstances over the last two years.”  He noted, “last year I was having physiotherapy three times per week instead of training every day and making it to the Games seemed impossible.”

He joins five other Canadians who have succeeded in securing Pan Am zone spots through the direct Olympic qualification process.  Polossifakis will join Eleanor Harvey (Women’s Foil), Maximilien Van Haaster (Men’s Foil), Max Brinck-Croteau (Men’s Epee), and Leonora MacKinnon (Women’s Epee) in Rio.

Gabriella Page (Blainville, QC) fell just short of direct qualification in women’s sabre but has an opportunity to secure her berth to Rio through a Pan Am zonal Olympic Qualification event in San Jose, Costa Rica on April 16.

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