China dominate wheelchair fencing World Cup in Amsterdam

Chinese fencers left the 2019 Wheelchair Fencing World Cup in Amsterdam, Netherlands, with six gold medals between 14-17 November, as athletes began the 2019-2020 season in their final build-up to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.

World champion Shumei Tan beat Thailand’s Saysunee Jana 15-13 in the women’s epee category B, bringing her number of World Cup wins to five.

There was also success for China in the women’s epee category A and men's sabre A finals, through Jing Rong and Jianquan Tian respectively.

That winning feeling.#Amsterdam2019 | #WorldCup @FIE_fencing | @Paralympics pic.twitter.com/0NpMPUdQ4b

— Wheelchair Fencing (@IWASFencing) November 15, 2019

Rong defeated compatriot Xufeng Zou, the reigning world and Paralympic champion, 15-11 to secure victory in the epee.

Tian, meanwhile, overcame Ukraine’s Andrii Demchuk 15-9 to clinch top honours in the sabre.

Sun Gang added to the Chinese golden haul in dramatic fashion, defeating Hungary’s Richard Osvath 15-14 in the men's foil category A.

China’s success also extended into both team women’s epee and men’s foil events.

Hat-trick for Great Britain

Dimitri Coutya starred for Great Britain, the hosts of next year’s European Championships.

The world champion topped the men’s epee category B podium after easing past Russia’s Alexander Kuzyukov, then overcame China’s Paralympic silver medallist Daoliang Hu in the men’s foil category B final.

Piers Gilliver followed on from his first world title in September, winning the men’s epee category A.

Another @IWASFencing World Cup. Another 4️⃣ medals for @BDF_GBR!

🥇🥇 @DCoutya
🥇🥉 @PiersGilliver

The consistency of this 🇬🇧 pair is extraordinary. #Amsterdam2019#ImpossibleToIgnore pic.twitter.com/DHVvUgwoG7

— Phil Smith (@PhilSmith_BPA) November 17, 2019

Italy double-up

In the women's sabre category B Rossanna Pasquino shocked Chinese world champion Tan. with a 15-7 scoreline. 

Paralympic champion Beatrice Vio took her latest gold in the women’s foil B, maintaining her nearly year-long unbeaten run in the weapon.

Vio dominated the gold-medal match against China’s Zhou Jingjing, with the Italian winning 15-4.

Fencing faces! 🤺

Moments from the @IWASFencing World Cup in Amsterdam!

📸: Eva Pavia Gomez pic.twitter.com/64njpfzNVM

— Paralympic Games (@Paralympics) November 19, 2019

Best of the rest

Poland’s Kinga Drozdz secured her second women’s sabre A World Cup win of 2019.

Drozdz topped Hungary’s Andrea Hajmasi for gold, while Greece's Panagiotis Triantafyllou emerged as the gold medallist in the men's sabre category B.

Hungary's Zsuzsanna Krajnyak triumphed in the women’s foil A, after overcoming Ukraine's Nataliia Morkvych  by three touches in the final.

Fencers will have a break but will resume the World Cup calendar in Eger, Hungary, from 14-16 February.

More on the 2019 Wheelchair Fencing World Cup in Amsterdam is available on IWAS’ website.