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Fighting for Olympic dreams in NYC

By Lizzy Nielsen | Elizabeth.nielsen@am-ny.com

April 4, 2008

Tim Morehouse and Jason Rogers practice fencing. Yury Gelman trains both men and women Saber competitors in national and international competition at The Manhattan Fencing Club on 39th Street in New York City. (Willie Davis)

"Full extension! Full extension!" "Duh-duh-duh-boom! Go!"

An instructor barks the commands in a Ukrainian accent. There is a frantic squeaking of sneakers against the floor and the piercing clang of sabers. These are the sounds of young fencers as they try to thrust, parry and counter-riposte themselves toward spot a on the 2008 summer Olympic team.

Caroline Vloka, 17, has just finished her workout at the Manhattan Fencing Center with U.S. Olympic Team coach Yury Gelman. She's red-faced and out-of-breath.

"In the last bout that I had that I lost, the girl beat me because my attacks were too straightforward. We were working on making my attacks more spontaneous," Vloka said.

With encouragement from her parents, the slender blonde from Bergen County, N.J., has been fencing since she was a child. Her Olympic dreams, however, will have to wait another four years. She didn't make the team that will be heading to Beijing in August.

There are three types of fencing.

Foil has the lightest weapon and only allows strikes in the torso. In Epee, the weapon is heavier and you can hit anywhere on the body. Vloka practices Sabre, which uses the most rapid movements and allows hits anywhere above the torso.

Tim Morehouse, a Bronx native, has been practicing Sabre for 13 years. Morehouse, 29, was an alternate on the 2004 Olympic Team in Athens, and just secured a spot on the 2008 team.

"All the top fencers in the country are here," he said of his Garment District training facility. "You can come in and lose every single bout. "

Morehouse and fellow fencer Jason Rogers believe the New York City is such a magnet for Olympic-caliber fencers is because the best coaches in the world are here.

Gelman, 53, has coached two Olympic teams and is considered one of the finest instructors in the sport.

"The most important part of my coaching philosophy is I believe whoever works hard, wins," Gelman said, taking a break from sparring with Vloka.

The sport, he said, is great for kids and can open doors for them as young adults.

"All of the best colleges in the nation offer fencing scholarships. I've had students get scholarships to Harvard, Princeton and Penn State," Gelman said.

So far, the fencing center, on W. 39th Street, is slated to send three athletes to the Beijing Olympics: Keeth Smart, Dagmara Wozniak and Morehouse.

Asked his secret to success, Morehouse had this simple rule: "Hit, and don't get hit."