1910 Lille international women's fencing tournament

The 1910 Lille international women's fencing tournament was an international women's foil fencing competition that took place in Lille, France in late June 1910. It was one of the earliest women's international fencing competition in history.

Background
While fencing was already practiced by women during the 19th century, fencing was in this era a male-dominated sport. This fencing competition was one of the earliest international fencing competition in the history of women's fencing, after the 1910 England–Belgium women's fencing competition three months earlier in 1910.

Tournament
On 25 June 1910 it was announced that the Verbrugge Fencing Hall from Antwerp, Belgium would send a delegation of fencers of the Ladies Fencing Club to participate in the tournament. These Belgian fencers were Marthe Pungs and Leni Preetorius.

The competition was attended by among others the French minister of War Jean Brun and notables of the French Army.

Belgian Marthe Pungs finished second ahead of Belgian Leni Preetorius who finished third.

After the competition an assault of Belgian fencers Marthe Pungs and Leni Preetorius was organized.

Responses
The event was reported positively in the Belgian media. The Belgian fencers were described as "charming" and "sympathetic". The style of the two Belgian women was praised. A part Fernand Lenoir wrote for Le Matin: 

Legacy
Others international women's fencing meetings were organized in the following years in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. These international fencing meetings contributed to the progress of women's fencing and closing the gap between women's fencing and men's fencing. As a result women's fencing was introduced in 1924 at the Summer Olympics.

References

Category:1910s in women's fencing
Category:Sport in France
Category:1910 in Europe
Category:1910s in France