Hungary dominate Wheelchair Fencing World Cup

Hungarian fencers left the IWAS Wheelchair Fencing World Cup in Montreal, Canada, with four wins between 27-29 April, in a dominate display on the piste.

There were victories for 11-time Paralympic medallist Zsuzsanna Krajnyak, Gyongyi Dani and Amarilla Veres in the individual events while the country also claimed gold in the women’s team sabre.

Krajnyak defeated compatriot Eva Andrea Hajmasi 15-11 in the women’s foil class A final, with bronze medals going to Georgia’s Nino Tibiashvili and Great Britain’s Gemma Collis-McCann.

Dani dominated her bout with France’s Cecile Demaude in the women’s foil class B to take a 15-7 win. Demaude’s teammate Sophie Sablon and Georgia’s Irma Khetsuriani completed the top three, both securing bronze.

Veres, meanwhile, sailed through the preliminary rounds at the Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard to face Tibiashvili in the women’s sabre class A final, where the former continued her good form and took victory. Hajmasi and France’s Sabrina Poignet shared third place.

Hajmasi, Boglarka Mezo and Veres stepped onto the podium once again in the team sabre. They proved too much for the Georgian trio of Zadishvili Gvantsa, Khetsuriani and Tibiashvili, scoring 45-36. The bronze medal went to the French Team of Amélie Dion, Poignet, Sandrine Quinola and Sablon.

World champion Khetsuriani claimed her latest World Cup win in the women’s sabre class B to bring her personal medal haul to three. She just edged Thailand’s Saysunee Jana into second place with a 15-13 score. Hungary’s Mezo was third alongside Greece’s Kalliopi Loufaki.

Great Britain, Poland and France also take gold

There was an upset in the women’s epee class A as Great Britain’s Gemma Collis-McCann emerged triumphant. Collis-McCann, 25, claimed her first World Cup gold medal with a 15-13 win over Krajnyak. Poignet and Veres were the bronze medallists.

France also left Montreal with multiple wins, claiming gold in the men’s foil class A and B and epee class B. Damien Tokatlian took on Japan’s Shintaro Kano in the men’s foil class A final, claiming a convincing 15-6 win, while Poland’s Michal Nalewajek and South Korea’s Sim Jae Hoon secured third.

Maxime Valet overcame South Korea’s Kim Gi Hong 15-5 in the men’s class B final. Completing the podium were Brazil’s Jovane Guissone and Japan’s Michinobu Fujita.

Yohan Peter sealed France’s trio of golds in the men’s epee class B, just beating Guissone 12-10. Poland’s Grzegorz Lewonowski and South Korea’s Gi Hong Kim took home bronze.

Poland’s Norbert Calka, Nalewajek and Lewonowski triumphed in the men’s epee team event. France’s Gaetan Charlot, Robert Citerne, Enzo Giorgi and Peter finished with silver. Thailand’s Chaichan Jongjairak, Yuenyong Khanthithao and Visit Kingmanaw completed the top three.

Hosts Canada save their best for the last day

Ryan Rousell eased to victory over Japan’s Shintaro Kano with 15-4. Moez El Assine added to France’s medal haul with bronze alongside Kano’s compatriot Naoki Yasu.

Pierre Mainville grabbed gold for Canada in the men’s sabre class B, taking on France’s Valet and winning 15-9. Jerome Prevot took another medal for France with bronze as did Ryuji Onda for Japan.

Asian power

The women’s epee class B was won by Thailand’s Jana, who beat Hungary’s Dani 15-8 in the final. Rounding out the podium were France’s Circee Peloux and Malaysia’s Yi Ying Lew.

South Korea’s Sim Jae Hoon sealed victory in the men’s épée class A with a narrow 15-14 win over France’s Citerne. Great Britain’s Oliver Lam Watson and Poland’s Calka were the bronze medallists.

The IWAS Wheelchair Fencing World Cup in Montreal was the third of six editions taking place in 2018. The next is in Warsaw, Poland, from 5-9 July.

Results for all World Cups are available at IWAS Wheelchair Fencing’s website.