China and Hong Kong Impress at Wheelchair Fencing World Championships

China finished on top of the medal standings at last week’s IWAS Wheelchair Fencing World Championships in Catania, Italy, coming away with seven winning performances and five runner-up finishes.

After an impressive Opening Ceremony at the University Plaza in Catania that brought together 157 athletes from 27 countries, the Chinese opened the competition with a bang, as Ru Yi Ye and Yi Jun Chen finished first and second, respectively, in the men’s foil A competition.

The Chinese were just as strong on the women’s side, as Fang Yao and Jing Jing Zhou finished one-two in the women’s foil B competition.

It appears that China has not missed a beat since winning a sport-high 13 medals – including six golds – in Wheelchair Fencing at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.

Meanwhile, Poland’s Dariusz Pender won the men’s foil B event and Russia’s Nikolay Lukiyanov won the foil C event. Hong Kong, which finished with three overall victories at the Championships, got things started with Chui Yee Yu’s victory in the women’s foil A.

In the epee events, China, Poland, Italy, Hungary and Thailand were all represented atop the podium, as Pender won his second gold for Poland.

In the men’s sabre A event, Jun Chen won for China, defeating teammate Yi Ye in the finals, while China’s Feng Xu struck gold on the women’s side.

In the team events, China won both the men’s epee and foil, while Hong Kong won the same two events on the women’s side. France won the final team event, the men’s sabre.

The event served as a qualifier for the London 2012 Paralympic Games, where Wheelchair Fencing will be one of 20 sports featured.