Tom's time to épée it back to fencing

Fencer Tom Hoffmann is determined to “put something back” on the local scene in 2019 after taking his talents to the other side of the world for a repeat Commonwealth bronze medal success.

The Dingwall Fencing Club athlete, from Jamestown near Strathpeffer, is just back from Canberra in Australia where he helped Scotland claim third place behind winners England and the host nation.

Backed by a £1,400-plus crowd-funding effort locally to ease hefty travel costs, Hoffmann came through 11 months of hard toil in his sport to secure his place on the dream trip.

Having helped pip India in a dramatic 45-43 bronze play-off, though, he is planning to take a step back from full-scale British competitive fencing and step up his coaching contribution in Dingwall.

Hoffmann said: “I’m still planning competitive fencing in Britain in 2019, but I’ll probably step back from the amount I did last year. I’m planning to do more coaching at my local club in Dingwall to give something back."

Read more in today's Ross-shire Journal.

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