Fencing is a combat sport, where beyond physical and physiological demands, strategy and tactics are crucial factors in order to identify fencers’ performance. Fencers’ tactical movements can be separated in preparatory actions and final actual offensive (attacks) and defensive (parries and counterattacks) actions. The aim of this study is to analyse the tactical choices of elite male and female qualifiers foil fencers in finals and semi-finals bouts of the 2016-17 FIE (International Fencing Federation) competitions. Attacking and defending points were recorded, compared with the type of point, the section thrusts were landed and the time period they were noted. The present study revealed significant difference between offensive and defensive efficacy in both male (p < .003) and female fencers (p = .019). Male fencers showed greater activation than women (p = .003), finishing their bouts much earlier (p = .000), since they needed less time to accomplish an actual action (p = .001). In conclusion, male could be characterized as ‘’permanently pressing’’ fencers, while female adopted a ‘’manoeuvring-attacking’’ style, since male fencers had greater percentage of total actions on the middle section of the piste (p = .011) and female fencers had greater number of defending actions on the back section (p = .033), respectively.

中文翻译：

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男女精英花剑运动员的攻防效能

击剑是一项格斗运动，除了身体和生理需求外，战略和战术是确定击剑运动员表现的关键因素。击剑手的战术动作可以分为准备动作和最终的实际进攻（进攻）和防守（招架和反击）动作。本研究的目的是分析 2016-17 年 FIE（国际击剑联合会）比赛的决赛和半决赛中精英男女预选赛击剑运动员的战术选择。记录进攻点和防守点，与点的类型相比，分段推力着陆并记录它们的时间段。本研究揭示了男性 (p < .003) 和女性击剑手 (p = .019) 的进攻和防守效率之间存在显着差异。男性击剑手比女性表现出更大的活跃度 (p = .003)，更早完成比赛 (p = .000)，因为他们完成实际动作所需的时间更少 (p = .001)。总之，男性可以被描述为“永久压制”击剑手，而女性则采用“机动攻击”风格，因为男性击剑手在滑雪道中间段的总动作比例更高（p = .011 ) 和女性击剑手在后部的防守动作次数更多 (p = .033)。