2010 World Fencing Championships

From November 4th through the 11th, 950 athletes from 110 countries are meeting in Paris, France for the 2010 World Fencing Championships. The annual event welcomes contestants to the historic Grand Palais in Paris this year, to participate in foil, épée, and sabre events. Collected here are several images from the first half of the 2010 competition. (33 photos total)

Maureen Nisima (left) of France and Tatiana Logournova of Russia compete during their semi-final of the epee competition at the 2010 the World Fencing Championships at the Grand Palais in Paris, France on November 8, 2010. (REUTERS/Jacky Naegelen)

Fencers compete in the Fencing World championships, on November 8, 2010, at the Grand Palais in Paris. (BERTRAND LANGLOIS/AFP/Getty Images) #

A fencer holds a foil during a Fencing world championships women's foil qualifying match on November 7, 2010 in Paris. (FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images) #

Ukraine's Olena Khomrova (left) faces Russia's Dina Galiakbarova during their women's team sabre final on November 9, 2010, at the Grand Palais in Paris. (FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images) #

China's Lei Sheng walks in front of a large video screen during a match against Japan's Yuki Ota during a men's foil semi final match on November 7, 2010 at the Grand Palais. (FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images) #

Elisa di Francisca (right) of Italy and her compatriot Arianna Errigo compete in the final of the foil competition in Paris on November 7, 2010. (REUTERS/Eric Gaillard) #

Belarussia's Dmitri Lapkes gets ready prior to compete in the Fencing World championships men's team saber qualifying round on November 9, 2010. (BERTRAND LANGLOIS/AFP/Getty Images) #

Mariel Zagunis from the U.S. in the Fencing world championships women's saber competition on November 6, 2010 in Paris. Zagunis won the competition, Ukraine's Olga Kharlan placed second, Russia's Sophia Velikaia and Ukraine's Olena Khomrova placed third. (LOIC VENANCE/AFP/Getty Images) #

Dagmara Wozniak (left), of the U.S. competes against France's Leonore Perrus for the bronze medal during the Fencing World championships women's team saber match on November 9, 2010. (FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images) #

In a multiple-exposure image, Romania's Gelu Florin Zalomir (left) faces Belarussia's Aliaksandr Buikevich for the bronze medal during the men's team saber match on November 9, 2010. (FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images) #

A fencer in a wheelchair is seen during the Fencing World championships on November 8, 2010, at the Grand Palais in Paris. (LOIC VENANCE/AFP/Getty Images) #

Moez El Asine of France (right) and Chan Wing Kin of Hong Kong compete in the final of wheelchair sabre team competition at the 2010 the World Fencing Championships on November 9, 2010. (REUTERS/Jacky Naegelen) #

Moez El Assine (left) and Laurent Francois of France are congratulated after winning the final against Hong Kong during the wheelchair sabre team competition at the Grand Palais in Paris on November 9, 2010. (REUTERS/Jacky Naegelen) #

Italy's Valentina Vezzali faces the tip of the foil of Netherland's Djinn Geurts during a women's foil qualifying match on November 7, 2010. (FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images) #

France's Cecilia Berder (left) faces Ukraine's Olena Khomrova during their Fencing World championships women's team saber semi-final match on November 9, 2010. (BERTRAND LANGLOIS/AFP/Getty Images) #

France's Cecilia Berder reacts during the women's team saber semi-final match against Ukraine on November 9, 2010. (BERTRAND LANGLOIS/AFP/Getty Images) #

Germany's Peter Joppich prepares to face China's Lei Sheng in the men's foil final match on November 7, 2010 at the Grand Palais in Paris. (FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images) #

Germany's Peter Joppich (right) competes against China's Lei Sheng in the men's foil final in Paris on Sunday Nov. 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Francois Mori) #

Peter Joppich of Germany celebrates after beating China's Lei Sheng in the men's foil final match on November 7, 2010 at the Grand Palais in Paris. (BERTRAND LANGLOIS/AFP/Getty Images) #

A fencing helmet on the floor during a women's foil qualifying match on November 7, 2010 in Paris. (BERTRAND LANGLOIS/AFP/Getty Images) #

Ibtihaj Muhammad (left) of the U.S. competes with France's Leonore Perrus for the bronze medal in the women's team saber match on November 9, 2010, at the Grand Palais in Paris. France won bronze. (BERTRAND LANGLOIS/AFP/Getty Images) #

Sophia Velikaia of Russia celebrates after defeating Mariel Zagunis of the U.S. to win their team sabre semi-final in Paris on November 9, 2010. (REUTERS/Eric Gaillard IMAGES OF THE DAY) #

From left to right, Sophia Velikaia, Julia Gavrilova Svetlana, Kormitsyna and Dina Galiakbarova of Russia celebrate on the podium after winning the final against Ukraine in the sabre team competition at the 2010 World Fencing Championships on November 9, 2010. (REUTERS/Eric Gaillard) #

Italy's Diego Occhiuzzi (left) faces Russia's Nikolay Kovalev in the men's team saber final on November 9, 2010, at the Grand Palais in Paris. Russia won 45 to 41. (FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images) #

Italy's Valentina Vezzali (right) competes against Poland's Sylwia Gruchala in a women's single foil quarterfinal in Paris, Sunday Nov. 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) #

Alim Latreche (right) of France and Hu Daoliang of China compete in the final of the wheelchair foil competition at the 2010 World Fencing Championships at the Grand Palais in Paris on November 8, 2010. (REUTERS/Jacky Naegelen) #

China's Sheng Lei celebrates after beating Japan's Yuki Ota in their men's foil semi final match on November 7, 2010 in Paris. (FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images) #

Russia's Sophia Velikaia, during the Fencing World championships women's team sabre final on November 9, 2010. (LOIC VENANCE/AFP/Getty Images) #

Italy's Elisa di Francisca celebrates with her coach after beating her compatriot Arianna Errigo in the women's foil final match on November 7, 2010 at the Grand Palais in Paris. (BERTRAND LANGLOIS/AFP/Getty Images) #

Ibtihaj Muhammad of the U.S. reacts as she competes against France for the bronze medal during the women's team saber match on November 9, 2010. (LOIC VENANCE/AFP/Getty Images) #

This multi-exposure picture shows Ukraine's Galyna Pundyk (left) competing with Russia's Julia Gavrilova during their women's team sabre final on November 9, 2010, at the Grand Palais in Paris. (FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images) #

Maureen Nisima of France cries during the medal ceremony after wining her final against Emese Szasz of Hungary in the epee competition at the 2010 World Fencing Championships on November 8, 2010. (REUTERS/Jacky Naegelen) #

Italy's Elisa di Francisca (left) faces South Korea's Nam Hyun Hee during a women's foil semi final match on November 7, 2010 in Paris. (BERTRAND LANGLOIS/AFP/Getty Images) #