Hungary and Italy dominate World Cup

Hungarian and Italian wheelchair fencers are departing from Sao Paulo, Brazil, with a trio of gold medals from the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation (IWAS) Wheelchair Fencing World Cup between 22-25 May.

The competition was the third of its kind this year and attracted a stellar cast of athletes. As well as offering qualification points for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, it was also the penultimate World Cup ahead of the World Championships in Cheongju, South Korea.

Full results are available here.

Hungary’s Amarilla Veres toppled her teammate and reigning world champion Zsuszanna Krajnyak in the women’s epee category A.

It was Veres’ first win of the Tokyo 2020 qualification cycle and will stand her in good stead as she tries to improve on her fifth place from the last World Championships later on this year.

World champion Krajnyak did however return to form in the foil, beating Russian Alena Evdokimova.

Hungary picked up another gold courtesy of world and Paralympic silver medallist Richard Osvath in the men’s sabre category A. Osvath took on Ukraine’s Paralympic champion Andrii Demchuk in a close final, only winning by three points.

Italy matches Hungary’s performance

Italian wheelchair fencers left Sao Paulo with three golds of their own. One came from world and Paralympic champion Beatrice Vio in the women’s foil category B.

Russia swept the rest of the podium as Ludmila Vasileva claimed silver alongside bronze medallists Boykova and Irina Mishurova.

In the men’s foil A, Emanuele Lambertini was the victor. However Russia’s Maxim Shaburov will be pleased with silver – his best ever result in the discipline and an improvement on the third place he won when he last took it on in 2014.

Italy rounded off the competition with team gold in the women’s foil.

Loredana Triglia, Andrea Mogos and Vio pipped Hungary’s Mezo Hajmasi and Krajnyak to the gold. Russia’s Mishurova, Vasileva, Evdokimova and Iuliia Maya were third.

More winners

Great Britain’s world champion Dimitri Coutya impressed in both the men’s foil and epee category B, proving that he will once again be a one to watch at the Worlds in September.

In the foil Coutya, faced Russia’s Albert Kamalov, easing past his opponent 15-5. He then triumphed in the epee over Ukraine’s Oleg Naumenko.

World champion Irma Khetsuriani proved unbeatable once again in the women’s sabre category B, collecting an incredible seventh World Cup gold in a row.

Thailand’s Saysunee Jana tried hard to get close to Khetsuriani in the final but in the end the Georgian stretched ahead for a final score of 15-9.

Ukraine’s Worlds silver medallist Yevheniia Breus grabbed her second World Cup sabre gold of the Tokyo 2020 qualification period in the women’s category A.

Breus overcame teammate and world champion Morkvych by just one point. Georgia’s Nino Tibiashvili and Veres were third.

Poland’s Adrian Castro was victorious in the men’s sabre category B against Italy’s Alessio Sarri. France’s Marc Andre Cratere and Castro’s teammate Grzegorz Pluta were third.

Russia secured their lone gold of the competition thanks to their men’s epee team.

The 2019 IWAS Wheelchair Fencing World Cup will now head to Warsaw, Poland, from 11 July.

The competition will be the last chance for fencers to hone their skills ahead of the World Championships from 17-23 September.