By Han Lin, Zhou Dapeng

    BELGRADE, July 4 (Xinhua) - Though they lost at the 2009 Belgrade Universiade, Chinese foil fencers Liu Yajuan and Zhu Fei said the experience is "memorable."

    With smile, Zhu Fei said: "what we care about is the process, not the result. Of course, it would be better if we won. We have tried our best."

    Liu Yajuan said that "we lost our game, but we did not lose our confidence. To us, Belgrade Universiade is a wonderful and memorable experience which is worth cherishing."

    Liu and Zhu were defeated in group competition, but now they are joyously watching the foil final between Italian and Russian players.

    "The fencing technology of European fencers is different from ours." Liu said, adding that in China, South Korea and Japan, foil fencing technology is more complicated. The fencers of the three countries pay more attention to the changes of movement on the waist.

    She noted European fencers' technology is "simpler and harder."

    "As soon as referee gives the signal to start, the European fencers just make a thrust immediately and ferociously, very fast!" she commented.

    Liu said that the amendment of the international foil rules is disadvantageous to Asian players.

    "Before the amendment, if rivals thrust each other at the same time, both do not lose score. But after the amendment, the possibility of similar circumstances is very minimal, because the time difference of thrusting is more accurate, "she said，"It is really fortunate for us to compete with these top athletes."

    Pointing to Italian fencer Claudia Pigliapoco on the stage, she said "She won World Championship in 2003. She is the top athlete. The level of foil fencers is very high in 2009 Universiade."

    Pigliapoco 26， shared Liu's opinion after the game, "The foil level at the 2009 Universiade is very high, though as not high as the World Championship or Fencing World Cup,' she said.

    Unlike Pigliapoco, who started practicing fencing at 5, both Liu, 22, and Zhu, 20, started to practice fencing after they went to junior middle school when they were 14 or 15, and they practice fencing only once or twice a week, two hours each time, because they spend most of their time on study.

    Two month ago, they were really surprised to receive the invitation for the Belgrade Universiade。 Only after that they began to train harder.

    Both Liu and Liu are studying in the Shanghai Institute of Electric Power, majoring in Business Administration. They won the gold and bronze medals respectively in fencing games at China's Universiade.

    Both of them said that fencing is just their avocation, and "it will remain so in the future."

Special Report:  25th Universiade Belgrade 2009