Critics meet Olympians - Michael Billington with the women's fencing team

What was once mortal combat is now a skilled sport: Michael Billington meets the British women's Olympic fencing team in training. Photograph: Sarah Lee for the Guardian

Anna Bentley, left, and Sophie Troiano, two of Britain's top fencers, take a break from training. Photograph: Sarah Lee for the Guardian

There is a concealed aggression about the way fencers lunge at their opponents to score a hit. Photograph: Sarah Lee for the Guardian

'A hit, a very palpable hit' – a fencer gains the upper hand in training. Photograph: Sarah Lee for the Guardian

Anna Bentley took up fencing to beat her brother: 'You'd be amazed how many people take it up because of sibling rivalry.' Photograph: Sarah Lee for the Guardian

This is the stuff of drama, with the mask adding an element of mystery to each performer. Photograph: Sarah Lee for the Guardian

Sophie Troiano: 'What I adore about fencing is the body is forced to respond to an extreme mental challenge.' Photograph: Sarah Lee for the Guardian