00:00When Zhong Man won men's sabre gold at Beijing 2008, hundreds of millions of Chinese people
00:07celebrated with him. Winning gold at home was a prize he didn't even dare to dream of.
00:13Stunning the fencing world. Afterwards, he dedicated the win to his coach Christian Bauer,
00:18calling him the best sabre coach in the world. Fast forward to 2024 and Bauer is still coaching.
00:25He's already struck gold with his athletes in Paris.
00:55Bauer's tactical reading of the sport they call chess with a sword helped Zhong Man to gold.
01:09So big were the celebrations afterwards that the coach couldn't even take a taxi
01:13without being recognized.
01:25Now at Paris 2024, China is sending 12 fencers to compete with one man and one woman qualified
01:35in sabre. So what should we look out for from Chinese fencers?
01:39Fencing is France's most successful sport at the Olympics and Christian Bauer one of
01:59its most famous faces. He's coached France, Russia, Italy and China to great success.
02:05And with athletes from over 10 countries training at his academy here in Orleans,
02:11that legacy looks set to grow even larger this summer.
02:16Beyond Paris, Chinese fencing continues to grow in popularity with close to 1,300 clubs around
02:22the country and a new generation is already building towards Los Angeles 2028. Christian
02:29Bauer will be part of that journey as he is set to return to coaching Chinese fencers with a nation
02:35looking forward to more moments like that one back in Beijing 2008. Ken Brown, CGTN, Orleans.
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