Saskatoon 2018: Jovane Guissone’s great win

Brazil’s Jovane Guissone survived a close bout to retain his title on the final day (16 September) of the 2018 Wheelchair Fencing Americas Championships in Saskatoon, Canada.

After three World Cup bronze medals in the men’s foil category B this year, Guissone finally struck gold with a 13-11 win over teammate Vanderson Luiz Chaves.

The victory added to his gold earlier in the competition in the men’s epee. The category B London 2012 Paralympic champion drew on all his experience to fence his way to an 8-3 win over compatriot Rodrigo Massarutt, moving one up from his last Americas Championships. Guissone also took silver from the sabre, which was won by Canada’s three-time Paralympian Pierre Mainville.

More Brazilian brilliance

Brazilian fencers dominated other categories of the piste, with Moacir Ribeiro dispatching his teammate Lenilson de Oliveira 15-8 to clinch the men’s epee A title.

Karina Maia gave Brazil another gold in the women’s foil category A, registering a 15-9 win over the USA’s Victoria Isaacson to hold onto her title.

Branching out

Byron Branch became the first US fencer to secure top spot at the Championships.

Despite entering unranked, the 34-year-old faced a field of Americas medallists in the men’s foil A undaunted. Branch executed a solid performance against Brazil’s Alex Sandro Souza to take the gold, easing past the 2016 silver medallist 15-4.

Canada celebrate

In the women’s sabre category A, Canada closed their home Championships with gold courtesy of Sylvia Morell.

Morell showed her experience against the USA’s Shelby Jensen to take the win with a 15-3 scoreline.

Her victory added to Canada’s success on the opening day.

The women’s epee category A saw Americas’ top-ranked Camille Chai emerge the winner, as she beat Brazil’s Carminha De Oliveira 15-4 in the final.

The men’s sabre category A final was an all Canadian affair that saw Matthieu Hebert claim gold over top seed, and local fencer, Ryan Rousell 15-9.

Complete results from the 2018 Wheelchair Fencing Americas Championships are available online.