Fencer Tulen takes his last chance and qualifies for the Games: ‘There are medal opportunities there’

NOS Sports•yesterday, 7:39 PM•Amended yesterday, 10:38 PM

Epee fencer Tristan Tulen has qualified for the Olympic Games in Paris in his last chance. The 32-year-old native of Brabant won 15-6 against the Portuguese Miguel Frazao in the final at the Olympic qualifying tournament in Luxembourg.

Only the winner of the tournament with 31 participants earned an Olympic ticket.

“That’s why it was very exciting today,” Tulen said NOS Along the Line. “The best fencer from each country, who had not yet qualified, came here. That made everyone a little more nervous than normal. It’s great that I was able to take that ticket with me.”

Although Tulen was one of the favorites to win the OKT, it was not certain that he would just win.

“I lost to Frazao last month during the Grand Prix in Budapest. Then we evaluated what didn’t go well and now I beat him 15-6. It’s great that it worked out at the right time.”

Especially because the fencer from Den Bosch is already 32 years old. The Games are now coming at the right time. “It wasn’t now or never, but if it has to happen, it will happen now at the perfect age.”

Tulen won gold at the European Games in Krakow last year at the expense of Frazao and in 2022 he won silver at the European Championships in Antalya. Now he wants to show his best side again next summer.

“If you go to the Games as a European, there are automatic medal chances. If I win the first two rounds, you are already heading towards a place.”

But there is one disadvantage. “Fencing is of course a small sport in the Netherlands. I always try to make as much time as possible to train, which remains difficult. As a Dutch professional, you always compete against the big countries. But anything can happen.”