Richard Osvath wants to fill missing void

"I didn’t win every competition, but that’s fine since I am motivated by failure"

Hungary’s Richard Osvath has achieved medals at the Paralympic Games, European and World Championship. But Paralympic gold has so far escaped him, and that is the wheelchair fencer’s target with less than two years left to Tokyo 2020.

Osvath has won five medals at all three levels in the last two years, including gold in the men’s foil category A at the 2017 Wheelchair Fencing World Championships. But he has never been able to call himself a Paralympic champion.

He is currently building toward the 2018 European Championships in Terni, Italy, from 17-23 September. He believes that will be a key stop on his road to Tokyo 2020.

Speaking from a five-week long training camp, Osvath said: “I would like to win a gold medal in the Paralympics. I have already won every kind of medal but the most important is still missing.”

The Hungarian is also the world No.1 in the foil, having claimed gold at his home World Cup in Eger in February.

In the sabre, Osvath beat Ukraine’s Paralympic champion Andriy Demchuk to the win at the same competition in a rematch of their Rio 2016 Paralympics final.

Osvath is taking inspiration from all of his results in 2018, not just the positive ones.

“I am absolutely satisfied with my results achieved this year. I didn’t win every competition, but that’s fine since I am motivated by failure,” he said.

Of his competitors, both for Terni 2018 and further head to Tokyo 2020, Osvath refused to name the athletes who keep him awake at night.

“There are several excellent fencers with whom you have to fight hard. I don’t say names because they can read these words encouraging them,” he said with a smile. “I always prepare for the competition to stand at the highest level of the podium, as well this is my current goal, however I am sure there will be some athletes who would like to stop me.”