Lambertini welcomes loaded competition schedule

"Youth and strength are on my side, so why should I worry about it?”

Emanuele Lambertini will not get much rest when he takes on both the junior and senior events at the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation (IWAS) wheelchair fencing World Cup events in Stadskanaal, Netherlands.

The 18-year-old dismissed any concern on whether that would take a toll on his body.

“I am excited at the thought of five competitions,” Lambertini explained. “I want to do my best in each one. Youth and strength are on my side, so why should I worry about it?”

Before fencing in the senior event, which runs from Friday to Sunday (12–14 May), the Italian will also compete in the Under-23 World Cup.

He wants to challenge himself at both levels.

“Every competition is important,” he said. “So in the junior events I’ll fence as hard as in the senior World Cup, I’m sure about that.”

Lambertini is looking forward to returning to the piste following a big medal haul at the same venue last October. At the 2016 U17 and U23 World Championships, Lambertini took the U17 epee and foil titles, plus U23 foil silver and U23 epee bronze.

This time he will fence for individual foil and epee gold in both events. He will also compete for Italy in the senior team event.

The quick-fire run of competitions will give Lambertini an opportunity to test the range skills he has been training for.

“At the moment I’m improving different things at the same time,” Lambertini explained. “Things like my reaction speed, my strength and some particular fencing actions to have all aspects well trained all the time.”

Lambertini named Hungarian fencer Richard Osvath as one of his toughest challenges. While another return from the Netherlands with multiple medals is the goal for the days ahead, emulating the likes of Osvath, who won foil category A silver at Rio 2016 is Lambertini’s long-term goal.

He finished in eighth place in the foil category A competition on his Paralympic debut in Rio and has mixed feelings about the experience.

“The emotions when I think back to Rio vary from sadness for the missed medal to happiness for the chance I had to be there; from the thrill I experienced during the competition to the hope for the upcoming years,” he said.

“Overall, the Paralympic Games have been the best experience I’ve ever had. It’s an experience that will accompany me, give me confidence, until Tokyo 2020.”

For more information about the IWAS wheelchair fencing World Cup events in Stadskanaal visit www.iwasf.com.