CAMBODIAN FENCING COMMUNITY SET FOR GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE: IFRC 2026 ONLINE EVENT PROGRAMME REVEALED
Phnom Penh, 7 July 2027
The International Fencing Research Committee (IFRC), in collaboration with British Fencing, has officially released the highly anticipated live session programme for the IFRC 2026 Online Knowledge Exchange Event.
With registration already underway, Cambodian fencers, national coaches, and sports officials are preparing to join sports scientists and fencing experts from around the world for a series of groundbreaking presentations. Running from July 23 to July 30, 2026, the event will dive into elite performance, athlete safety, and the cutting-edge technology shaping the future of global fencing.
All live sessions are scheduled for 16:00 BST (British Summer Time). Due to the time zone difference, live sessions will air in Cambodia at 10:00 PM ICT (Indochina Time) on the same day.
For those unable to watch live late at night, the IFRC has confirmed that all pre-recorded presentations and narrated e-posters will become available on the IFRC Program Website starting at 6:01 AM ICT on their respective days and will remain accessible afterward.
1. Fencing Physiology: Battling the Heat
Date & Time: Thursday, July 23 at 10:00 PM ICT
Speaker: Lindsay Bottoms
The Focus: Vital for Cambodia's tropical climate, this session explores a new consensus on how heat, humidity, ventilation, protective gear, and event structures impact athlete safety and performance.
2. Biomechanics & Performance Analysis: The Sabre Data Model
Date & Time: Friday, July 24 at 10:00 PM ICT
Speaker: Jacques Lachouque
The Focus: A look into data-driven models of international sabre competitions, analyzing how top-16 fencers handle high-pressure, close-bout situations.
3. Fencing Psychology: Crushing Mental Fatigue
Date & Time: Monday, July 27 at 10:00 PM ICT
Speaker: Chao Bian
The Focus: Introducing research on using mild hyperbaric oxygen on-site to help well-trained fencers rapidly recover from acute mental fatigue after heavy pool bouts.
4. Injuries & AI Technology: The Future of Records
Date & Time: Tuesday, July 28 at 10:00 PM ICT
Speakers: Tim Johnson & Peter Harmer
The Focus: How artificial intelligence (AI) is being deployed to track fencing injuries, fix database anomalies, and streamline complex competition results.
5. Coaching Science: Music as a Training Tool
Date & Time: Wednesday, July 29 at 10:00 PM ICT
Speakers: Tamara Tait & Maureen Connolly
The Focus: An exploration of how music impacts motivation, rhythm, timing, and competition prep among competitive fencers.
6. The Future of Fencing: A New Global League
Date & Time: Thursday, July 30 at 10:00 PM ICT
Speaker: World Fencing League / Chiron Sports Group
The Focus: A special look into the vision of the World Fencing League, focusing on elite competitions, athlete-led storytelling, and new broadcasting technologies to grow global audiences.
Officials and coaches who have registered should keep a close eye on their email inboxes. The Microsoft Teams joining links for the live sessions will be circulated by the organizers closer to the event date.
Cambodian coaches and sports officials are highly encouraged to review the full schedule of e-posters and supplementary materials ahead of time on the official portal to maximize the benefit of this global sports science exchange.
Event Link: Official IFRC 2026 Programme
