About the Commonwealth Fencing Open Championships

THE Commonwealth Fencing Open Championships are held every four years, in the same year as the Commonwealth Games, and are sanctioned by the Commonwealth Games Federation.

Fencing was included in the Commonwealth Games from 1950 through to 1970 and one of the objectives of the Federation is to have it re-included, but the event is currently run independently.

Fencing is one of four sports which have featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games.

This year's Commonwealth competition will be held in Melbourne and runs from September 29 to October 5.

Anna Burnett - currently ranked 48th in the UK - will compete in the Women's Foil. In foil fencing, "electronic" weapons are used which have a push-button on the point of the blade, which allows hits to be registered by an electronic scoring apparatus.

Foil fencers wear conductive jackets covering their target area, which allow the scoring apparatus to differentiate between on and off-target hits.

The target area is restricted to the torso, including the front and back, so Anna wears special stomach protectors to keep her liver area safe.