Tucked away behind Home Depot in a North Richmond business park is one of the most successful fencing clubs in the country that is readily making an impact at national and international levels.
It was just over two decades ago Victor Gantsevich launched Dynamo Fencing. Since then, the club has moved into a more spacious facility to accommodate its growing membership and reputation.
Gantsevich and his son Igor are part of an experienced staff that includes former Olympic and national champions who oversee a wide-range of outstanding talent. That was evident at last weekend’s Canada Cup event at the Richmond Olympic Oval where Dynamo enjoyed a record haul of 16 medals.
Recently, nine club members were also named to the national team that will be competing at the Pan Am Championships. That is 20 percent of the entire Canadian roster.
The Gantsevichs’ long-term vision is even greater representation through a support program that would go well-beyond excellent coaching.
“Our club goal is to have 50 percent of the national team by 2020 and 100 percent by 2024. I know that’s a crazy goal but that’s what I am setting out to do,” explained Igor Gantsevich.
“Unfortunately, Sport Canada doesn’t have a bold outlook when it comes to developing high performance athletes in our sport. What we want to do is create our own ‘Own the Podium’ program that would be entirely privately funded.
“Athletes would came here from all over Canada and be completely looked after from accommodations, to food to training.”
Igor estimates it would take about a million dollars in corporate sponsorships to get such non-profit venture up-and-running. He is confident the support will be there, especially as the club continues to produce high-level athletes.
Among them is Richmond’s own Dylan French, now a sophomore at Notre Dame where he competes at the NCAA level. The former World Cadet Championship bronze medalist in epee was victorious at the recent North American Cup in Columbus Ohio, considered one of the world’s premier U20 age group events.
French will soon be coming home as part of the Canadian team competing at the Men’s Epee World Cup at the Richmond Olympic Oval (Feb. 17-19), which is being co-hosted by Fencing Canada and Dynamo.
“That was probably Dylan’s biggest win since the World Cadet Championships,” continued Gantsevich. “He has been hovering around that top four but managed to breakthrough this time. What makes it impressive is competing at that level with the pressure of being a full-time student.”
Gantsevich adds the World Cup will feature 180 fencers from around the world which is double the size of the inaugural event four years ago. That comes at the start of another four-year Olympic cycle when athletes typically cut back on their competition schedule.
Dynamo medalists at the Canada Cup included: Emma von Dadelszen (Bronze, Junior Women’s Epee), Fynn Fafard (Bronze, Junior Men’s Epee), Seraphim Jarov (Bronze, Junior Men’s Epee), Matina Pun (Bronze, Cadet Women’s Sabre), Bela Suveg (Silver, Veteran Mixed Epee), Joel Fafard (Bronze, Veteran Mixed Epee), Elizabeth Douglas (Bronze, Senior Women’s Epee), Fynn Fafard (Gold, Cadet Men’s Epee), Seraphim Jarov (Silver, Cadet Men’s Epee), Alex Sun (Bronze, Cadet Men’s Sabre), Oscar Zhao (Bronze, Cadet Men’s Sabre, Seraphim Jarov (Silver, Senior Men’s Epee), Isaac Velestuk (Bronze, Senior Men’s Epee), Mike Krasnich (Gold, Veteran Mixed Sabre), Grace Born (Bronze, Veteran Mixed Sabre), Natasha Kis-Toth (Silver, Cadet Women’s Epee).
