Yukoners put dent in competition at medieval combat championship

Nine Yukon athletes representing Team Canada stabbed, blocked, and beat their way to notoriety at the International Medieval Combat Federation's World Championships in Scotland this past weekend.

Thirty-one countries participated in the annual event which saw 448 sword wielding competitors battle it out for victory on the historic grounds of Scone Palace. 

Team Yukon, which made up all but two of Team Canada's members, put forth a strong showing, impressing fans and officials alike.

Steve Pearson of Whitehorse made a lasting impression in his international debut. Competing in the longsword event, he handily defeated Australia and Luxembourg, advancing through the quarter and semi-finals to the bronze medal round.

"He was an incredible upset. We were not expecting such a new fighter to do so well. He was so fast," said Caitlyn Roush, list manager with the federation.

Pearson said his performance took even him by surprise.

"I am still shocked that I was able to compete at that level," he said,.

"It's got to be one of the best experiences I've had in my life, placing fourth in the World Championships."

Aurora Bicudo, Team Canada's only female fighter, fought in both the longsword and sword and shield competitions. In the latter, Bicudo passed through the elimination round by outpowering Austria and taking the American fighter through to an exhausting fifth round.

"It was intense. They had to dig really deep. It was an amazing fight to watch," said Kayla Haiser, a fighter with the American team.

For Bicudo, who started the sport last year, the experience was a highly motivating one.

"I need to go home and start working on cardio," she said laughing. "I'll be back again next year, for sure."

Another highlight for Team Canada was advancing through to the elimination round of the five vs. five. In this event, five fighters from each country face off against each other in an all out brawl. 

'They're fast, they're strong, and they're mean'

Team Canada's match against Ukraine, who went on to win the gold medal, was a difficult one. 

"They're fast, they're strong, and they're mean," said Don Hornby, a fighter with Team Canada. "We may have lost, but we didn't give it to them. We made a decent showing for ourselves."

Team Canada's performance at this year's event was even noticed by officials. Benoit Leger is the vice-president of the federation. 

"The Canadians before was one of the weak teams. This year they showed up as a really powerful team," he said.

For athletes like Dale Braga, the event was an important learning experience. 

"Coming here you get to see the top guys in the world. We can see what steps we need to take to make it to the next level," said Braga.

"This year we made the playoffs. Next year we want to advance further. We want to be one of those top contending countries," he said. 

Land Pearson, a founding member of medieval combat in the Yukon, said the team's overall performance was something to be proud of. 

"We made it out of our pool which is amazing," he said. 

"That is a first time for Canada. We have four who've never been to world championships and a few that have never even been to a tournament before. I'm really excited for the growth of our sport in Canada."